Hosts Puneri Paltan will be keen on registering their second win of the home leg when they face off against the Tamil Thalaivas in the 96th fixture of Pro Kabaddi 2019 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune.
The Paltan started their home leg on a positive note with a 43-33 win over the Gujarat Fortune Giants but were dealt a massive loss at the hands of the Patna Pirates, who beat the home side by a huge 55-33 margin.
The Thalaivas have a lot of issues that have dented their campaign as they are currently on an eight-match losing streak and languish at the bottom of the points table with just three wins from 16 matches.
During the previous encounter between these two sides in Chennai, Surjeet Singh was the star for the Paltan as he registered a High 5 while the duo of V Ajith Kumar and Rahul Chaudhari picked up 8 points apiece for the Thalaivas as the game ended in a thrilling 31-31 tie.
With the Thalaivas all but playing for pride and the Paltan keen on picking up yet another win in front of their home fans, a tight game could be on the cards.
Puneri Paltan Team News
Despite falling to a massive loss against the Patna Pirates, the Puneri Paltan could be expected to field the same starting 7 against the under-firing Thalaivas.
Predicted Starting 7 - Surjeet Singh (C), Nitin Tomar, Manjeet, Pankaj Mohite, Hadi Tajik, Girish Maruti Ernak, Jadhav Balasaheb Shahaji.
Tamil Thalaivas Team News
Shabeer Bappu was drafted into the side in the last game but failed to pick up a point and could be replaced by Victor Obiero, who picked up five points, including two points from a Super Tackle.
Predicted Starting 7 - Manjeet Chhillar (C), Rahul Chaudhari, V Ajith Kumar, Victor Obiero, Mohit Chhillar, Ran Singh, Vineet Sharma.
Dream11 Fantasy Tips
Raiders: The Thalaivas duo of Rahul Chaudhari and V Ajith Kumar have done well to bring about raid points in the absence of Ajay Thakur and will hold the key in this game as well. On the Paltan front, Nitin Tomar could be backed to rise to the occasion and pick up some key points.
All-Rounders: Manjeet is the lone all-rounder picked up from this section owing to his ability to win matches for his side. The youngster has picked up the most points for his side this season - 107 from 16 matches - and could be an X-factor for his side in this game.
Defenders: Surjeet Singh's rise to form is one of the biggest positives for the Paltan and he will need to lead the side from the front, while Shahaji's assistance from the cover positions will also be vital to stop the Thalaivas' defenders.
Mohit Chhillar picked up 4 points from the Thalaivas' previous game against the Haryana Steelers and he could be a value add to this side.