PKL 12: Key player battles to watch out for in Match 40, U Mumba vs Puneri Paltan

The Maharashtra Derby is one of the most fiercely contested matches in PKL history.

Day 20 of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12) will witness a much-awaited Maharashtrian Derby between U Mumba and Puneri Paltan. The historic rivalry between the two teams promises to be a blockbuster, with U Mumba holding a slight edge in the head-to-head.

Both teams are coming off a win in their last encounter. U Mumba defeated Patna Pirates in a close match, while Puneri Paltan stunned Telugu Titans.

U Mumba’s raiders are performing well, while their defence is a bit worrying as they scored only 8 tackle points in the last match. On the other hand, Puneri Paltan‘s defence looks invincible at the moment, having scored 17 points in the last game.

Meanwhile, their raiders are also performing well. If U Mumba are to win this clash, they will need to find a way to stop Pune’s defensive wall.

On that note, let’s take a look at the key battles to watch out for between the U Mumba and Puneri Paltan in PKL 12.

Amirmohammad Zafardanesh vs Gaurav Khatri

The Iranian raider, who had a quiet outing so far, has found his form back with a brilliant show against Telugu Titans. He scored a brilliant Super 10 with 12 points and helped his team to win the match. In the absence of Ajit Chouhan, he admirably led the raiding department, and the same will be expected from him against Puneri Paltan.

Gaurav Khatri has scored 26 points in 7 matches and is the standout defender for Puneri Paltan. He is in outstanding form and is looking unstoppable at the moment.

In the last game, he also scored seven tackle points along with a brilliant super tackle. He is a headache to the opposition raiders, and U Mumba wants to find a way to stop him.

Also Read: PKL 12: U Mumba vs Puneri Paltan prediction, possible starting 7, head-to-head & free live stream

Aanil Mohan vs Vishal Bhardwaj

The most expensive raider on day 2 of the PKL Auction, Aanil Mohan, impressed everyone against Patna Pirates and showed everyone why U Mumba had shown a lot of faith in him. He provided crucial support to Zadardanesh and will aim for a Super 10 against Puneri Paltan.

On the other hand, Vishal Bharadwaj, who was unsold in the last season, finally gets a team this season. Not many would have expected him to play and perform well. But so far, the veteran has been performing well for Puneri Paltan.

He scored a brilliant high five in the last match, moving his tally to 17 points in 7 games. He will be looking to stop U Mumba’s raider and will be a crucial man for Puneri Paltan.

Sunil Kumar vs Aslam Inamdar

In the battle of captains, it will be interesting to see who wins. U Mumba’s captain, Sunil Kumar, has scored 12 points in 6 matches. In the last game, he scored 2 points. Even though he hasn’t been at his best so far, he will be looking for a strong defensive performance against Puneri Paltan.

On the other hand, the captain of Pune, Aslam Inamdar, has been doing his role perfectly. He is a valuable asset to his team, and whenever there is trouble, Alsam has scored crucial points and helped his team cross the finish line.

He has scored 7 points, which include 2 tackle points as well. His all-around ability makes him a threat to the opposition, and he will be looking for a great performance once again.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Kabaddi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.