PKL 11: Key battles to watch out for in match 17 U Mumba vs Bengal Warriorz

Both teams have won their previous matches.

Pro Kabaddi League season 11 (PKL 11) will enter its second weekend and Saturday night promises to be a blockbuster of a night. Season two champions U Mumba will take on the champions from season seven Bengal Warriorz in the first of the four PKL 11enthralling contests scheduled for the weekend.

Two teams created a big buzz after the PKL 11 auction as they made some impressive buys during the Independence weekend. Bengal Warriorzgot two skippers Fazel Atrachalli and Nitesh Kumar to protect their corners. For Mumbai, they snapped the cousin duo of Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal, the powerful cover combination in the PKL 11.

The results haven’t really gone the way they expected as both teams have a win and a loss in the two games they have played in PKL 11. This game is crucial as a win will take them to the top half of the PKL 11 points table. Both teams are coming off wins and would want to keep the momentum going.

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They share a rich history in the league in the last decade with Mumbai dominating the proceedings. In the first eight games, it was U Mumba who ended up on the winning side. Since then, in the 12 encounters, Mumbai have won six to Bengal’s five with a tied game last season.

This PKL 11 game is expected to be another close contest. With multiple stars in both teams, it will be interesting to see who will take the initiative to be a bit more aggressive. Here are some of the key battles, which could decide the way this contest pans out.

Amirmohammad Zafardanesh vs Fazel Atrachalli

One of the battles to watch out for in this PKL 11 contest will be between two Iranians Amirmohammad Zafardanesh and Fazel Atrachalli. The experienced Fazel has been the best defender in the league while he might have switched teams from season to season, his performance seems to be constant as Warriorz are reaping the rewards for this season.

For Zafardanesh, the youngster has continued from where he left last season. His all-round skills have been explosive as he has been the lead raider for Mumbai this season. Iranians will come face to face on Saturday and Fazel would want to prove his authority having failed to tackle him successfully even once last season. The Warriorz skipper, Fazel Atrachali would want to show who the real Sultan is.

Maninder Singh vs Sunil Kumar

U Mumba have tasted success whenever they have a solid captain to lead them. The initial years had Anup Kumar whose composure was enough to take them to the finals in the first two seasons. The men in orange have lacked it since his departure and they seemed to have found a solution with Sunil Kumar who is the most successful Indian captain in PKL history.

He will be leading the side in PKL 11 and have a huge challenge in the form of Maninder Singh. Both have had multiple battles between them with Maninder leading with a slight edge of 10-9. But, the tables have turned in the last few years with Sunil dominating the contest. With Maninder relieved of his captaincy with an aim to play freely, both will come across for another chapter in their history.

Nitin Dhankar vs Sombir

In a disappointing season last year for Bengal Warriorz, Nitin Dhankar Kumar was the lone bright spot from the season. He seem to have increased his pace this PKL 11 season and with 20 points from two games, he is leading the charge for the season seven champions. His performance against U Mumba was one of the games to watch out for as he dominated them.

Especially, he found a weakness in the left corner defender Sombir as he kept attacking him. In the two PKL 11 games, Nitin scored seven raid points against Sombir which demoralized the defender. The right raider will look to attack the Achilles heel again. On the other hand, Sombir would like to get one back against the youngster, and will be fascinating to watch.

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