Pro Kabaddi League 2018, Match 102: U Mumba v Bengal Warriors | Match Preview and Predicted Lineups
Table toppers from Zone 'A', U Mumba will be eyeing some more momentum on their side when they face off against the Bengal Warriors in the penultimate day of the Inter-Zone Challenge week at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Vishakapatnam.
The Bengal Warriors, like their opponents, have enjoyed a good outing in this season with seven wins from 14 games apart from five losses and two tied encounters. However, a loss in their previous game would certainly have played a thorn in their plans as they battle for a spot in the playoffs with the Bengaluru Bulls and the Patna Pirates.
Maninder Singh seems to have regained his lost touch and will be walking into this competition with three 'Super 10s' in a row while skipper Surjeet Singh, who has taken up a big load of the defensive duties will have to bring his A-game in order to stop Siddharth Desai.
If Surjeet can indeed take a leaf out of Gujarat's book and restrict Desai, it would make the job much easier for Bengal but that task in itself seems one that could prove to be arduous, with the towering U Mumba raider sending waves of authority with 178 raid points from 15 matches.
While U Mumba boasts of one of the top raiders this season, the presence of Fazel Athrachali on the left corner could prove to be the 'X' factor in the game and his combination with Surender Singh and Dharmaraj Cheralathan will certainly play a key role in inflicting a loss on the Bengal Warriors.
Key battles to watch out for
#1 Siddharth Desai (Right raider) v Surjeet Singh (Right cover)
#2 Maninder Singh (Right raider) v Fazel Athrachali (Left corner)
Probable Playing 7
U Mumba: Fazel Athrachali (C), Siddharth Desai, Rohit Baliyan, Dharmaraj Cheralathan, Surender Singh, Rohit Rana, Rajguru Subramaniam
Bengal Warriors: Surjeet Singh (C), Maninder Singh, Mahesh Goud, Ravindra Ramesh Kumawat, Ran Singh, Baldev Singh, Vijin Thangadurai.
When and where to watch: 20:00 IST on the Star Sports network and on digital streaming platform Hotstar.