The second last day of the Nagpur leg of the Pro Kabaddi League, will feature the home team, Bengaluru Bulls taking the battle across to the Bengal Warriors at the Mankapur Indoor Stadium.
Both the teams are coming off contrasting results from their previous encounters with the Bulls playing out a thrilling tie against the Titans last night while the Warriors completely decimated the UP Yoddha 40-20 earlier in the Nagpur leg.
LIVE COMMENTARY: Bengaluru Bulls vs Bengal Warriors, 09 August 2017
The Bengaluru Bulls are laid by the talismanic Rohit Kumar who is a key cog in the machine when it comes to spearheading the attack for the team. He is supported in the same by the young gun Ajay and all-rounder Ashish Kumar who was retained by the franchise ahead of the player auctions in May.
Unlike the attack, the defense does not have a man who shoulders the main responsibility and instead, it's a combined performance from all those present on the mat in the likes of Ravinder Pahal in the right corner, Mahender Singh in the left, assisted by all-rounder Preetam Chhillar and Sachin Kumar.
The Bengal Warriors, on the other hand, are high on confidence post two consecutive wins, especially in the last match when they sent a statement of intent. The attack is spearheaded by the comeback man Maninder Singh who is supported by their Korean recruit Jang Kun Lee. However, one other man who has been very impressive is Vinod Kumar with his ability to sneak raid points as well as execute key tackles.
The defense per se is manned by captain Surjeet alongside Ran Singh who even notched up a High-5 in the match against UP Yoddha. The other two defenders may be a concern for the Warriors for they have not been up to the mark and will have to buckle up, Rahul Kumar and Srikanth Tewthia.
Bengaluru Bulls vs Bengal Warriors match prediction
The Bengal Warriors definitely look like the stronger side on paper given the rampant raiding done by their raiders and the stronghold of the defense. If the Bulls have to embark on a winning run again, they have a real tough challenge to do so against the Warriors because their own defense seems penetrable for the likes of Maninder Singh and Lee.
Moreover, if the Warriors succeed in keeping Rohit Kumar out on the bench for an increased amount of time, as has been the in the last two matches, the Bulls will find it difficult to keep the scoreboard ticking.