A lot of people are billing this contest as Ajay Thakur vs Pardeep Narwal and they would not be entirely inaccurate. The manner to which both players dominate their sides is incredible. Ajay Thakur and Pardeep Narwal are both among the top-5 raiders of the league.
Ajay Thakur has 96 raid points more than the next raider on his side while Pardeep narwal has scored 2.5 times more raid points than the next best in his side. Keep either of these men quiet and you have a great chance of winning.
Of course, with a raiding unit that centers around one man makes it easier for the defense to plan and anticipate what might be coming. This makes the job of Manjeet Chillar on the Tamil Thalaivas and Jaideep on the Patna Pirates very crucial.
Manjeet Chillar has led the defense for the Tamil Thalaivas and is one of only five players to have scored more than 50 tackle points in the PKL this season. Chillar comes into this contest in excellent form after registering a High 5 against the Telugu Titans in the last match.
Jaideep has 45 tackle points in 14 games and it is not inconceivable for him to reach 50 tackle points in this match as well. His past performances against the Tamil Thalaivas have not been too good, though.
We think that the two lead raiders are going to go at each other hard in this contest and it could be down to the fringe players to step and make the difference. Raiders like Jasvir Singh or Surjeet Singh on the Tamil Thalaivas should not be taken lightly while Deepak Narwal and Manjeet on the Patna Pirates can spring a surprise as well.
A fascinating contest lies in store.
The Tamil Thalaivas and the Patna Pirates have played 5 matches against each other with the Patna Pirates winning three of those encounters. Recent form is a much more important factor to consider and that is where the Patna Pirates take the lead. The Pirates have won their last five matches while the Thalaivas lost two out of their last three matches.
The Patna Pirates have hit the kind of form that has seen them be one of the most successful sides in Pro Kabaddi history. They have dominated the PKL due to their ability to hit top-gear during the closing stages of the tournament. This is exactly what we are seeing this time around and we don’t think the Tamil Thalaivas are going to be able to stop this juggernaut.
Back the Patna Pirates to win.