PKL 8: Mumbai seek revenge in Maharashtra Derby, Patna face UP

The Paltan defence has looked solid in the recent outings.

Day 4 of Rivalry Week in Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) will feature the second Maharashtra Derby of Season 8 between Puneri Paltan and U Mumba. U Mumba will be eyeing revenge after Pune’s massive victory in the reverse fixture earlier in the tournament.

Pune’s young raiders Mohit Goyat and Aslam Inamdar have been the emerging stars of the tournament and will be keen to clinch another win to keep their team in the reckoning for a playoff spot. 

The first match of the night will see U.P. Yoddha take on Patna Pirates. Pardeep Narwal will be under the spotlight as he takes on his old team with whom he won three PKL titles.

Maharashtra’s biggest kabaddi match

For Maharashtra’s kabaddi lovers, there is no bigger match than Pune vs Mumbai. Both teams have shown their potential in a mixed-bag season, but Pune will go into the match as the more confident side. Coach Anup Kumar has developed a team of youngsters with Mohit Goyat and Aslam Inamdar handling the raid duties. The latter has also shown his all-rounder abilities by contributing with tackle points. Mohit’s calmness in Do-or-Die situations has also been an asset for Pune. 

The Paltan defence has looked solid in the recent outings too with corner defenders Sombir and Karamvir adding much-needed confidence after replacing Baldev Singh and Vishal Bhardwaj respectively. Young Abinesh Nadarajan in the cover position has also been a reliable defender for the Paltan unit.

Mumbai have been hampered by key injuries throughout the season. Ajith was an able deputy in Rahul Sethpal’s absence, but one gets the feeling this U Mumba unit still hasn’t found its best 7. Abhishek Singh and Ajith Kumar will need a flawless night in attack to ensure Mumbai stay within touching distance.

Pune coach Anup Kumar, who was U Mumba’s captain when they won the title in PKL Season 2, is known to encourage an aggressive approach from his raiders. He will want them to wreak havoc on Mumbai’s defence right from the first whistle. Mumbai captain Fazel Atrachali will therefore need to match fire with fire and encourage his defenders to make the tackles than play on backfoot.

Yoddha breathing through Gill

The first match of the night will see three-time champions Patna Pirates face friend-turned-foe Pardeep Narwal. The raider’s Rs 1.65 cr move to U.P. Yoddha at the auctions was the biggest talking point of the summer but it is his less-famous raiding partner Surender Gill who has impressed. While Pardeep has struggled to replicate the form that earned him ‘Recorder-Breaker’ status, Surender Gill has bulldozed defences to help U.P. stay in the race for a playoff spot.

But a lot will depend on how their defence plays. Corners Sumit and Nitesh Kumar will need to be on top of their game against Patna’s raiding trio of Sachin, Monu Goyat and Prashanth Rai. The Pirates defence had an uncanny blip against Jaipur Pink Panthers in their last outing but expect the likes of Mohammadreza Shadloui and Sunil to come back roaring.

The Iranian’s personal battle against Surender Gill will most likely decide the outcome of the match. Day 4 of the Rivalry Week has all the makings of a thriller in PKL.

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