Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: Five player battles to watch out for in the Ranchi leg
Season five of the Pro Kabaddi League has been a humdinger so far and the action has now moved to the home of the two-time defending champions, the Patna Pirates.
Teams are now performing at a very high level as they attempt to qualify for the playoffs to ensure they have a chance of winning the title in what has been an incredibly intense season so far.
Haryana Steelers made the most of their home advantage in the previous leg in Sonepat to rocket to the top of the standings in Zone A and Patna will be hoping to do the same thanks to the brilliance of their captain, Pardeep Narwal.
With the Pirates playing six matches in the next week, their fans will be looking to cheer them on in what should be a closely contested set of matches.
Here are five of the most entertaining player battles that will determine which team does well in Ranchi:
#1 Kashiling Adake (U Mumba) vs Abozar Mohajer Mighani (Gujarat Fortunegiants)
U Mumba will be facing the Gujarat Fortunegiants twice during their time in Ranchi, and the battle between Kashiling Adake and Abozar Mighani might just determine which team holds the upper hand going into their reverse fixture later in the leg.
Kashiling has slowly risen to the occasion, scoring 23 points in his last two matches, including 15 in their last match against Patna Pirates. His explosive raiding style, combined with his ability to raid for a long duration of time, will stand him in good stead against the Fortunegiants.
Iran's Abozar will be tasked with the job of defending Adake, who has scored 68 points in 13 matches. Mighani has been one of the most effective defenders in season five of the Pro Kabaddi League, scoring 39 points in 13 matches.
Gujarat will be banking on their Iranian star's physical, smothering style of defence to ensure that they can continue their good run and move back to the top of the Zone A table.