The Tamil Thalaivas, after a well-deserved rest, would look to go all out to avenge their defeat against the Bengaluru Bulls, when they take on the Bulls tomorrow evening at the Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Sonepat.
The last time the two teams squared off, it was the young Bulls raider Pawan Kumar Sehrawat who trampled the Thalaivas defense with his astounding 20-point performance. As much as his raiding prowess is to be appreciated, the poor defense of the Thalaivas is also to be blamed for contributing towards Pawan's best ever performance in the Pro Kabaddi League.
The Bulls captain Rohit Kumar and their experienced raider Kashiling Adake had taken a back seat to let Pawan wreak havoc on the opposition. But, if Pawan somehow fails to replicate his performance, Kashi and Rohit should be ready to step up and take the team through this time around.
The Bulls' defense combined well to score 12 tackle points, with Ashish Sangwan and Mahender Singh shouldering the bulk of the defensive responsibility.
The Bulls seemed to be at their menacing best in the previous encounter and would look to continue in the same vein with the same mix of attack and defense.
The Tamil Thalaivas, on the other hand, have been a case study on how a team shouldn't perform. Except for their captain Ajay Thakur, and Manjeet Singh or Athul MS on a few occasions, the Thalaivas have looked extremely inconsistent.
Their defense is their biggest problem and hopefully it has been sorted out during the rest period. While individually, the likes of Manjeet Singh and Amit Hooda can strike fear in any raider, they have failed to come together and give their team the decisive edge that they have been seeking.
Probable playing 7:
Bengaluru Bulls: Rohit Kumar (c), Kashiling Adake, Pawan Kumar, Ashish Kumar, Mahender Singh, Jasmer Gulia, and Jawahar Vivek.
Tamil Thalaivas: Ajay Thakur (c), Jasvir Singh, Athul MS, Manjeet Chhillar, Darshan J, Amit Hooda, and Sunil
When and where to watch: 20:00 IST on the Star Sports network and on the digital streaming platform, Hotstar.