U Mumba will sense an opportunity to strengthen their chances for a spot in the playoffs when they take on a struggling Tamil Thalaivas in the 116th match of Pro Kabaddi 2019 at the Tau Devilal Sports Complex in Panchkula.
Having suffered yet another defeat this season, it seems as if the misery just doesn’t seem to end for the Thalaivas. Their last win came against Gujarat on the 10th of August 2019, which has only added to the side's woes this season.
In the absence of big names such as Ajay Thakur and Manjeet Chhillar, Rahul Chaudhari and V Ajith Kumar tried hard but could not gather enough touchpoints. It also seems like Ajay Thakur’s season is all but done as the veteran has missed a majority of the season owing to injury.
Their defensive unit has also looked below average. Mohit Chillar’s ankle holds have almost disappeared and so has Ran Singh’s confidence. The only thing this team can look forward to is testing their bench strength which may help them construct a better team for the next season.
Tamil Thalaivas Form Guide: L L D L L
U Mumba are placed 6th on the table and are will be pinning their hopes on a good all-round show that could certainly propel their chances of landing a spot in the top six.
U Mumba’s defensive unit, which has looked solid so far, appeared slightly shaky in the last match. Fazel Atrachali and Sandeep Narwal consistently leaked points and that cost them five important points against the Bengaluru Bulls.
Surinder Singh has looked in good shape in the last few matches and U Mumba will look to regain their confidence against the Tamil Thalaivas' raiders, who are under pressure at the moment.
In the absence of Arjun Deshwal in the last game, Abhishek Singh and MS Athul did well to keep U Mumba in the game with a combined total of 19 points and they will be backed to produce yet another good show.
U Mumba Form Guide: L W W L W
Predicted Starting 7
Tamil Thalaivas: Rahul Chaudhari (C), M Abhishek, V Ajith Kumar, Vineet Sharma, Ran Singh, Himanshu, P Subramanian
U Mumba: Abhishek Singh, Rohit Baliyan, Harendra Kumar, Surinder Singh, Athul MS, Fazel Atrachali (C), Sandeep Narwal
Match Prediction
Having been knocked out of the race for the playoffs, the Tamil Thalaivas will only be playing pride and can certainly be expected to give U Mumba a tough fight tonight. They do have some young talented players waiting in the ranks and giving more opportunities to budding players might help them unearth a special talent.
However, U Mumba are in some decent form of their own and are a couple of wins away from a spot in the playoffs. With a lot on the line, expect Fazel Atrachali's side to come out all guns blazing in this match.
U Mumba are expected to beat Tamil Thalaivas.
Where and when to watch
Date: Monday, 30th September 2019
Start time: 8:30 pm IST
Venue: Tau Devilal Sports Complex, Panchkula
Live telecast: Star Sports Network
Live streaming: Hotstar
Live updates: Sportskeeda
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