Pro Kabaddi League 2019: Preview: UP Yoddha look to wrap up play-off spot against Dabang Delhi

Bengaluru, October 5: UP Yoddha meet table-toppers Dabang Delhi in Pro Kabaddi League 2019 at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida on Saturday (October 5).

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While UP Yoddha look to seal the final play-off spot with a win, Dabang Delhi will look to maintain momentum as they head into the semis of the PKL 2019.

In their last game, UP Yoddha defeated Haryana Steelers, while Dabang Delhi were snapped off their six-game unbeaten streak by second-placed Bengal Warriors.

However, Dabang Delhi will be confident heading into Saturday's contest as they got the better of UP Yoddha in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Jaipur Pink Panthers' victory on Friday (October 4) meant UP Yoddha still have to fight for a berth in the Pro Kabaddi Season 7 playoffs if they hope to become one of only two teams, alongside Bengal Warriors, to qualify beyond the league stage in the past three campaigns.

Their recent run of results that has seen them win seven out of eight matches and the star of this upturn in results has been raider Shrikant Jadhav.

He has solidified his spot as the lead raider with consistent performances throughout the campaign and the past eight matches have seen him score 76 raid points at an average of 9.5 per game with three Super 10s.

He and rookie Surender Gill have carried the bulk of the raiding load and the duo has performed exceedingly well for UP Yoddha.

Their defence, like last season, has been stellar so far. While skipper Nitesh Kumar has had a good campaign, the star on the defensive side has been Left Corner Sumit, who is currently on pace to finish the campaign as one of the season's leading tackle point scorers.

With the defence and offence working in tandem, UP Yoddha are one of the most in-form and balanced outfits in the league, and Dabang Delhi will have their work cut out on Saturday.

Dabang Delhi succumbed to just their third defeat of the season against Bengal Warriors in their previous outing and, while results elsewhere have since confirmed their spot in the semi-final, a victory against UP Yoddha will Bengal can still overtake them if they win both their games.
Raider Naveen Kumar extended his unprecedented run of Super 10s to 18 and another one against U.P. Yoddha will see him break the record for the most Super 10s in a campaign (19), held jointly by him and Pardeep Narwal.

Their defence had a rare off night against Bengal Warriors as they could muster just six tackle points - their lowest this season - and veterans Joginder Narwal and Ravinder Pahal will be aiming to put in a better showing against UP Yoddha.

Coach Krishan Kumar Hooda could opt to test his bench strength against a formidable foe and give opportunities to the likes of Meraj Sheykh and Saeid Ghaffari, who have seen their playing time diminish over the past few matches.

Game starts at 7.30 PM IST

Live Channel: Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2HD

Live Stream: HotStar

Source: Pro Kabaddi