Bengaluru, Feb 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Season 1 champions Jaipur Pink Panthers will battle Gujarat Giants in a Pro Kabaddi League match of the ongoing season 8, here on Monday.
Both the Panthers and the Giants have struggled for consistency throughout the tournament despite showing glimpses of their immense potential. Jaipur raider Arjun Deshwal had an uncharacteristically poor outing against the Haryana Steelers and will be looking to bounce back against a fragile Gujarat defence.
The Pink Panthers have a talented raiding duo in Deepak Hooda and Arjun Deshwal. But there is little depth to these positions which has affected coach Sanjeev Baliyan's strategies. Jaipur find themselves struggling on days when either of their raiders can't find the form.
The defence has been error-prone too. Sahul Kumar, Sandeep Dhull and Vishal have all had a mixed season -- brilliant on one day and lacklustre on the next. The Pink Panthers will need a collective effort to stay in contention for a spot in the PKL eliminators.
Gujarat won't be easy pushovers with Ajay Kumar and Pardeep Kumar slowly starting to strike a balance in the raiding department. Coach Manpreet Singh is known for his ability to rally his troops in difficult situations and will be calling for a strong end to the campaign.
Surprisingly, their struggles have been in the defence with the experienced duo of Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar not reaching their own meteoric standards. Gujarat need to win all their remaining matches to stay in the hunt for a playoff berth.
Meanwhile, the second match on Monday will see defending champions Bengal Warriors lock horns with Telugu Titans.
The Warriors have often failed to capitalise on the performances of their star raider Maninder Singh and will need a flawless end to the season to clinch a playoff spot.
Bengal Warriors have so far failed to replicate the form that won them the championship in 2019. No player has been consistent with their performances barring captain Maninder Singh.
The Warriors have lost three of their last 5 matches. But in players like Mohammad Nabibakhsh and Sukesh Hegde, they have seasoned stars with champion DNA in them. They will be looking to bounce back by beating the Titans on Monday.
On the other hand, the Telugu Titans have just one win throughout the season and are desperately out of confidence. Hampered by injuries to Siddharth Desai and other stars, they have endured a difficult season.
Titans suffered an upsetting loss against UP Yoddha despite leading the match for most parts. The confidence is extremely low in the camp and the best they can do is to have a successful end to the season.
Most players will now be playing for places -- impressing the teams and earn a good contract in the next auctions. All the players will see the upcoming matches as a do-or-die situation. If they perform, they can continue to be part of the most competitive Kabaddi league. If they don't, they perish.
The likes of Rajnish, Sandeep Kandola and Adarsh have impressed despite the team's bad form, and they will be hoping they can all combine their energy for one last hurrah.
Source: IANS
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