Bengaluru, January 27: After nearly a ten-day break, Patna Pirates return to action in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2021-22 on Friday (January 28) to take on Tamil Thalaivas at the Sheraton Grand Whitefield in Bengaluru.
While Patna Pirates enter the match on the back of 29-32 defeat to Dabang Delhi, the Tamil Thalaivas are fresh from a 34-34 tie against Jaipur Pink Panthers in their recent outing in PKL season 8.
After 3 wins, 3 defeats and 6 ties leading to 34 points in 12 matches, Thalaivas occupy the nineth position in the PKL 2021-22 points table, while Pirates sit three places above in sixh with 40 points following 7 wins, 3 defeats and 1 tie in 11 matches.
PKL 2021-22 Points Table | Results | Fixtures
The last time the two sides met earlier this month in the reverse fixture, there was nothing to separate them as the match ended in a 30-30 tie. However, in the overall head-to-head battle, Pirates have claimed 5 wins in the 8 meetings against Thalaivas.
The spotlight will be on the defence with top stars on both sides. Patna's Shadloui Chianeh has been impressive in the left corner while Sunil's availability in the right will give them renewed energy. The cover combination of Neeraj Kumar and Sajin C has also performed well for Pirates.
Thalaivas also boast an incredible defensive line-up. Captain Surjeet Singh has been consistent in the covers while Sagar has donned the right corner role to perfection. The two will need to iron out the errors against a potent Patna raiding unit.
In Sachin, Monu Goyat, Prashanth Rai and Guman Singh, coach Ram Mehar Singh will have a plethora of talent to choose from. They will need to upset the Thalaivas by switching left and right raiders.
The Thalaivas have recently looked jaded in the raiding department with Manjeet feeling the toll of a long season. K Prapanjan's long-term injury means coach Uday Kumar will need to find a solution.
The dynamic Ajinkya Pawar was the star when the teams met earlier this season, scoring a quick-fire Super 10 to help tie the match. He could be in the reckoning for a starting place with both Bhavani Rajput and Athul MS struggling to support Manjeet.
The team has often played on the third raid which leaves very little margin for error. A bold, attacking strategy against a Patna team playing their first match after a long break, might be a good ploy.
Patna Pirates will be keen to register a victory to ensure they stay on course for a play-off spot. For Thalaivas, the time is now to convert. They've played 6 ties in the season and the players will know they would be on top of the points table had they converted these results into victories.
Dream11 Predicted Starting 7s
Tamil Thalaivas: Surjeet Singh, Manjeet, Bhavani Rajput/Athul MS, Sagar, Ajinkya Pawar, Mohit, Sahil Singh
Patna Pirates: Monu Goyat/Guman Singh, Sachin, Sunil, Prashanth Kumar Rai, Neeraj Kumar, Sajin Chandrashekar, Shadloui Chianeh
MyDream11 Starting 7: Sachin Tanwar (captain/All-rounder - PAT), Manjeet (vice captain/Raider - CHE), Ajinkya Pawar (Raider - CHE), Neeraj Kumar (Defender - PAT), Surjeet Singh (Defender - CHE), Sahil Singh (Defender - CHE), Mohit (All-rounder - CHE)
Match Details
Tamil Thalaivas vs Patna Pirates
Date and start time: Friday (January 28) at 7:30 PM IST
Live Channel: Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2HD
Live Streaming: Disney+HotStar