Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: 5 player battles to watch out for in the Lucknow leg
Season five of the Pro Kabaddi League has started to gain some momentum as the last week saw an exciting array of matches in the Ahmedabad leg.
The home team, Gujarat Fortunegiants, made the most of their advantage as they stayed unbeaten in their six matches, winning five and playing out a tie in their last encounter.
Teams will be looking to do well in the Lucknow leg, which will first see the second half of the Inter Zone Challenge Week, before closing with zonal matches.
The U.P. Yoddha will be keen on making the best use of their home advantage and propelling themselves to the top of the standings.
Here are five player battles that will play a crucial role in their teams' fortunes in the Lucknow leg:
#1 Nitin Tomar (U.P. Yoddha) vs Suresh Kumar (U Mumba)
The captain of the home team, Nitin Tomar has been in great form in season five of the Pro Kabaddi League, coming to life in the Ahmedabad leg of the tournament.
The Yoddha have been solid as a unit so far, winning three of their five matches, losing only one and playing out a tie in the other. Tomar has been key to their good play, having scored 33 points so far, and will look to get the home leg off to a great start against U Mumba.
The team from Mumbai will have their task cut out and after a tough beginning to the tournament, would be looking to get back on track with a win.
They would look to their right cover defender, Suresh Kumar, to provide the defensive solidity they have lacked so far. Kumar has accrued a total of eight points in four matches, and will need to step up to stop Tomar.