The Season 2 champions, U Mumba will look to move one step closer towards their second title by defeating the Bengal Warriors in the second semifinal of Pro Kabaddi 2019 . Fazel Atrachali's men defeated the Haryana Steelers by 8 points in Eliminator 2 to secure a spot in this match. On the other hand, Bengal Warriors finished second on the points table of the league round to earn a direct entry into the semifinals.
The Warriors have never won a match in the playoffs as all their five playoff games have ended in a loss. This year again, they face a stiff challenge in the form of U Mumba and on top of that, they will most likely play this match without the services of their skipper Maninder Singh.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the coach of Bengal Warriors, BC Ramesh revealed that Singh had picked up an injury during the final phase of the league round. He further added that it is upto him to put in the hard yards and make up his mind to play.
So, U Mumba will have the upper hand heading into this contest.
Team News - Bengal Warriors
As mentioned ahead, Maninder Singh may not feature in the starting seven which means that the Iranian all-rounder, Mohammad Nabibakhsh will lead the side once again while Sukesh Hegde and K. Prapanjan will be the team's lead raiders.
The right cover position of the defence has been an area of concern for Bengal Warriors thus, they may bring Adarsh T in the side as the out-of-form Mayur Shivtarkar's replacement. Apart from that, there should be no changes in the team.
Predicted Starting 7: Mohammad Nabibakhsh (C), K. Prapanjan, Sukesh Hegde, Adarsh T, Baldev Singh, Rinku Narwal, Jeeva Kumar.
Team News - U Mumba
The Mumbai-based franchise had pulled off an excellent performance against the Steelers in the eliminator. Since there are no injury concerns for U Mumba, expect them to field the same playing seven that played in the eliminator match.
Predicted Starting 7: Fazel Atrachali (C), Abhishek Singh, Surinder Singh, Arjun Deshwal, Athul MS, Sandeep Narwal, Young Chang Ko.
Dream11 Fantasy Tips
Raiders: Since Abhishek Singh and Arjun Deshwal scored Super 10s in the previous match, expect the two raiders to continue their form in this match as well. Besides, Bengal Warriors' Sukesh Hegde has been in phenomenal form in the second half of the tournament. So, these three raiders should be the preferential picks in the fantasy team.
All-rounders: Mohammad Nabibakhsh has been in sublime touch in his debut season of Pro Kabaddi League. So, he should be given the priority in the all-rounders' department. Also, U Mumba's beastly all-rounder, Sandeep Narwal can prove to be a valuable pick.
Defenders: Fazel Atrachali and Surinder Singh have troubled the opposition raiders a lot in this season. Both the defenders can be backed to bring their 'A' game tonight against the Bengal Warriors. From the Kolkata-based franchise, Baldev Singh and Rinku Narwal can prove to be the difference-makers.
Fantasy Suggestion 1: Rinku Narwal, Adarsh T., Surinder Singh, Sandeep Narwal, Sukesh Hegde, K. Prapanjan, Arjun Deshwal.
Captain: K. Prapanjan Vice-captain: Arjun Deshwal.
Fantasy Suggestion 2: Baldev Singh, Adarsh T., Fazel Atrachali, Young Chang Ko, Mohammad Nabibakhsh, Sukesh Hegde, Abhishek Singh.
Captain: Abhishek Singh Vice-captain: Mohammad Nabibakhsh.
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