PKL 11 Eliminator 1: Top five players to watch out for in UP Yoddhas vs Jaipur Pink Panthers

The winner of the PKL 11 Eliminator 1 will face Haryana Steelers in the semis.

UP Yoddhas and Jaipur Pink Panthers will face each other in Pro Kabaddi 2024 (PKL 11) Eliminator 1 to claim the place in Semi-Final 1 against the Haryana Steelers. The Eliminator will take place at Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune, on 26th December.

UP Yoddhas have been phenomenal in the second half of the season. They are running on an unbeaten streak of 9 matches. Whereas, Jaipur Pink Panthers have had their ups and downs throughout the season. Currently, they are in a vulnerable position as the defence hasn’t been at their best from the last couple of matches. Going into this PKL 11 Eliminator 1, both these teams will count on their key players to deliver their best performances. Here are the five players you must look out for in this upcoming battle of the best.

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Arjun Deshwal (225 Raid Points & 3 Tackle Points)

The Jaipur Pink Panthers‘ captain has been a key player for them for the last couple of seasons. He played a massive role in their Season 9 triumph and has been their go-to player since. Deshwal has continued his form and has once again crossed the 200 mark this season. However, their dependency on him is excessive. Hence, his form will play a key role in the Eliminator. If he finds his rhythm, UP Yoddhas will have to push twice as hard to grab it back from Deshwal’s jaw.

Ankush Rathee (67 Tackle Points)

If Arjun Deshwal has kept the Pink Panthers going in their raiding department, Ankush Rathee has been their key defender. Rathee is the sixth most successful defender this season and has worked phenomenally in the left corner. His ankle hold would be something Bhavani Rajput, Gagan Gowda and Bharat Hooda will be keeping an eye on as they walk out on Thursday.

Sumit Sangwan (65 Tackle Points)

Sumit Sangwan is another left corner who has impressed everyone this season. After a shaky start to the season, it was him and Hitesh who worked fabulously in combination to get UP Yoddhas to this position. Sangwan has 65 tackle points and can be a lethal poison for Arjun Deshwal, as Sangwan can block bonus points that Deshwal sneaks from the left corner. He has been able to restrict Deshwal in the last two opportunities. It will be interesting to see if he can do it again on the big day.

Gagan Gowda (130 Raid Points & 1 Tackle Points)

Gagan Gowda turned out to be the main raider for the UP Yoddhas this year. Although there were many expectations from Surender Gill in the beginning, it was Gowda who came in later and took the responsibility. He scored 130 raid points in just 16 matches and has played with a phenomenal attitude. The youngster has a fabulous 74.28 successful raid percentage, which is even better than Devank Dalal and Ashu Malik. How will he react to the big occasion will be a thing to look forward to?

Hitesh (63 Tackle Points)

Hitesh is going to be another defender who will play a big role in restricting the force of Arjun Deshwal, Neeraj Narwal and Abhijeet Malik. Sumit and Hitesh work flawlessly in combination. It is going to be another game where they would want to be on top of the opponent’s offence. But it is not going to be easy as they will have Deshwal and company in the opposition who can get dominant on any good day. If this defence works well for the Yoddhas, the direction of the match can be easy to guess.

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