Pro Kabaddi League: UP Yoddhas are hoping for a turnaround in fortunes after going down in three of their four home-leg matches when they face Tamil Thalaivas on Wednesday in Match 65 of the Season 10 of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) here at the DOME by NSCI here.
Yoddhas, the GMR Group-owned franchisee, finished their home leg with a closely fought 31-40 loss to table-toppers Puneri Paltans. They are currently placed tenth in the league table with 21 points to their kitty and a score difference of -10.
Tamil Thalaivas, who are also suffering a bad patch of form, losing their last seven matches, are currently placed one rank below the Yoddhas on the table with 14 points and a score difference of -44.
Across all the seasons of PKL, the Yoddhas and the Thalaivas have faced each other on 13 occasions. Both the teams have won five matches each, as three games ended in a tie.
Speaking before the match, UP Yoddhas head coach Jasvir Singh said, “We have gone through some ups and downs in the league so far. However, it’s a long tournament, and I am confident that a turnaround is just around the corner. The boys are working harder to get the campaign back on track. We have got ample time to rectify our mistakes and as a team, we will come back stronger.”
Captain Pardeep Narwal has led the attack for the Yoddhas this season with his raiding partner Surender Gill. Both Narwal and Gill have earned 87 and 86 raid points respectively in the tournament so far and feature in the top 10 in the lists of most successful raids and most raid points.
Despite being injured in the last four games, Sumit has displayed a warrior spirit with a never-give-up attitude. He bravely took the mat even after a head injury, making crucial contributions to his team. Currently ranked second in the list of most tackle points with 37 tackle points to his name, Sumit spearheads the defense for the Yoddhas. He receives strong support from Nitesh Kumar and Gurdeep, who have scored 31 and 26 tackle points, respectively.
The raiding pair of Ajinkya Pawar and Narender will lead the attack for the Tamil Thalaivas having earned 66 and 63 raid points in the tournament so far. In defense, the Thalaivas will rely on the pair of Sahil Gulia and Sagar to hold their fort against the Yoddhas.