In a much-anticipated clash as part of Pro Kabaddi 2019, the Telugu Titans will square off against three-time champions Patna Pirates in the 98th fixture of the season at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune.
The Patna Pirates will be coming into this contest on the back of three consecutive wins and will be keen on moving up the points table with a win from this contest. On the other hand, the Telugu Titans are placed 11th on the points table with just 4 wins from 11 matches and will be eyeing a much-needed win that will arrest their three-match losing streak.
Pirates' skipper Pardeep Narwal has been in some scintillating form and has registered Super 10s in each of his last five encounters, including a massive 26-point effort against the Tamil Thalaivas that has influenced all of the Pirates' wins thus far.
For the Titans, Siddharth Desai has 128 points from 15 matches this season and seems to be slowly finding his feet on the raiding front, which makes him an 'X-factor' for his side from this game.
The two teams have already squared off once earlier this season during the Titans' home leg in a game which saw the Pirates reign supreme by a 34-22 margin and it remains to see if the Pirates will claim yet another win against the Abozar Mighani-led side.
Telugu Titans team news
Rakesh Gowda's quick feet on the mat has brought about a few important raid points to this side and he, in the company of Siddharth Desai will form the core of the raiding unit. On the defensive front, C Arun has lacked form but could retain his place for another game.
Predicted Starting 7: Abozar Mighani (C), Siddharth Desai, Rakesh Gowda, Vishal Bhardwaj, Farhad Milaghardan, C Arun, Krushna Madane.
Patna Pirates team news
The Pirates put up a commendable show in the last game against the Puneri Paltan and one would expect the three-time champions to continue with a winning combination for this game as well.
Predicted Starting 7: Pardeep Narwal (C), Jang Kun Lee, Hadi Oshtorak, Neeraj Kumar, Jaideep, Monu, Vikas Jaglan.
Dream11 Fantasy Tips
Raiders: Pardeep Narwal is one of the leading point-getters this season and overlooking him for this clash would certainly be a mistake. Pardeep has scored 190 out of the Pirates' overall total of 285 raid points this season and he is a must-have for this side.
Along with Pardeep, Siddarth Desai is a valuable choice as a raider, given his ability to win matches single-handedly on the raiding front.
All-Rounders: Monu has been putting in some impressive performances when given opportunities and can be expected to contribute on both the raiding and defensive scheme of things which makes him a good choice for a whole lot of points.
Defenders: Two defenders have been picked from each team for this clash. From the Pirates, cover defender Neeraj Kumar, who is fresh off his record 11-point effort from the previous game and Jaideep, who has made his mark from the left corner have been picked.
From the Titans, skipper Abozar Mighani, who has eight points from three matches could be a wise pick while Krushna Madane is the final pick given his ability to contribute with some crucial ankles holds.
Fantasy Suggestion #1: Pardeep Narwal (C), Siddharth Desai (VC), Monu, Neeraj Kumar, Hadi Oshtorak, Abozar Mighani, Krushna Madane.
Fantasy Suggestion #2: Pardeep Narwal (C), Jang Kun Lee, Monu, Rakesh Gowda, Neeraj Kumar, Vishal Bhardwaj (VC), Krushna Madane.