PKL 9 Day 26 Live Updates: Puneri Paltan vs Tamil Thalaivas

07:30 PM: Hello and welcome to Khel Now’s live update of Day 26 of PKL season 9.

Bengaluru Bulls vs Gujarat Giants

Gujarat Giants has lost the last two encounters and have slid down to the ninth place in the points table. Chandran Ranjith the captain of Gujarat Giants after an injury was back to playing 7 against Bengal Warriors where the team lost by a five-point margin (40-45). Two-star defenders Sourav Gulia and Rinku did not start the match but the latter was brought in as a substitute later in the match. Gujarat Giants’ next game will be against Bengaluru Bulls in PKL 9.

Bengaluru Bulls after a three-day break will look to start fresh after losing to Haryana Steelers in a tightly contested match (27-29). Bharat as usual was the star in the raiding department scoring a super 10. Vikash Kandola the star raider could only score a single point in a low-scoring encounter.

Head to Head

Bengaluru Bulls and Gujarat Giants have faced each other nine times in the Pro Kabaddi League out of which, Bengaluru has won four matches and Gujarat Giants has come out victorious on other six occasions with one game ending in a tie.

Player to watch

Rakesh Kumar after an excellent start to the PKL 9 season scoring super 10s consistently has not had the same form for the past few matches. Rakesh in the initial matches scored most of the raid points but now has lost rhythm. Partheek Dahiya has taken over his role and has scored two consecutive super 10s. If Rakesh is able to get back to his old form then the duo of Rakesh and Partheek Dahiya can be a threat to any PKL franchise.

Saurabh Nandal is currently in the 2nd position in the tackle points table and has been scoring points consistently. Rakesh Kumar if back to form will be a huge threat but being a right raider along with Partheek Nandal has to plan accordingly and keep both raiders off the mat. Chandran Ranjith is back from an injury and shall not be a threat given his previous performances.

Puneri Paltan vs Tamil Thalaivas

Puneri Paltan is on a roll and are currently at the top of the points table. The western side beat UP Yoddhas in the last encounter with Akash Shinde scoring a super 10 with 15 points and Fazel Athrachali scoring a high 5 with seven tackle points. Puneri started the season slowly but has caught up pace in front of the home crowd and is yet to lose in Pune. Puneri Paltan will play a rejuvenated Tamil Thalaivas in PKL 9.

Tamil Thalaivas are on a four-match unbeaten run and for the first time in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League Tamil Thalaivas has remained unbeaten for four matches winning three along with a tie. Ajinkya Pawar was the star of the show in the last encounter against Telugu Titans scoring six points in a single raid turning the match completely in Tamil Thalaiva’s favour. The southern team currently occupy the seventh spot in the points table and is just one win away from going into the top 6.

Head to Head

Tamil Thalaivas and Puneri Paltan have faced each other six times in the Pro Kabaddi League out of which, Tamil Thalaivas have won two matches whereas Puneri Paltan has come out victorious on two occasions with two matches ending in a tie.

Player to watch

Akash Shinde was performing well in the limited chances provided to him at the start of the tournament but when Aslam Inamdar got injured Akash Shinde proved the quality he possesses. He has scored two consecutive super 10s in PKL 9 and the team is looking strong without their top raider.

Sagar was the second in the tackle points table in Pro Kabaddi season 8 but has not started season 9 on a good note. The captain in the last encounter scored eight points and has shown signs of last season. The corner duo needs to stop both Akash Shinde and Mohit Goyat who have been in great form.