The last day of the Nagpur leg of the Pro Kabaddi League will feature a Zone A encounter when the Puneri Paltan takes the battle across to the Jaipur Pink Panthers at the Mankapur Indoor Stadium.
Both teams are coming into this match on the back of contrasting results, the Puneri Paltan registered a 26-21 win against Dabang Delhi while the Jaipur Pink Panthers lost against the same opposition earlier in the season.
The Puneri Paltan have definitely looked like the strongest team not only on paper but also on the mat with an all-round display of skills benefitting the franchise. Deepak Hooda leads the team in the capacity of a captain and is also responsible for the bulk of the raiding. He is assisted by the talismanic Rajesh Mondal and young gun GB More in the attack.
The mantle of the defence rests on the mighty shoulders of the experienced campaigner Dharmaraj Cheralathan alongside Girish Ernak. However, the player that brings in the added edge to the side is Sandeep Narwal with his ability to shine in the defence as well as the attack as per the requirement of the situation.
On the other hand, the Jaipur Pink Panthers, are led by all-rounder Manjeet Chhillar who brings in heaps of experience to the fore alongside Jasvir Singh who spearheads the attack. The absence of Selvamani owing to an injury will hurt their cause and in this situation, the likes of Pawan Kumar and Tushar Patil will have to step up in the raiding department. The defence is manned by the likes of Manoj Dhull, Navneet Gautam and Somvir Shekhar, all of whom did not have a particularly successful outing in the first match.
Puneri Paltan vs Jaipur Pink Panthers match prediction
If one has to call the match, the advantage will definitely tilt in favour of the Puneri Paltan squad given the exceptional form that all the players have showcased in the initial matches so far in the season.
The defence of the Pink Panthers does not look like a formidable one and will be relatively easy to penetrate through for the like of Deepak Hooda, Rajesh Mondal and others.
Moreover, the Jaipur team will also feel the loss of their frontline raider Selvamani in the attack and there will be an increased responsibility on Jasvir, an aspect that was seen in the last encounter, wherein the team crumbled to a loss despite having a 10 point lead at the end of the first half.