Star Sports Pro Kabaddi: What to expect from the Bengaluru leg
The second stop of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi caravan brings the league to the capital of Karnataka – Bengaluru, after a stellar opening leg in Vizag. The home of the Bulls, Bengaluru helped the home team qualify for the semis last season as they won their final two matches at the Kanteerava Stadium en route to the final. The Bengaluru faithful will be hoping that home comforts catapult the Bulls higher up in the table this time as well.
Day 1 of the Bengaluru leg will see two undefeated teams this season lock horns as Patna Pirates take on the home side in the first match of the day. Bengaluru Bulls come off a dominant win against Dabang Delhi while Patna Pirates edged out Jaipur Pink Panthers in their first match. Surjeet Narwal will be leading the Bulls at home for the first time and will be hoping for a winning start while his counterpart, Sandeep Narwal, will be hoping to ruin the party.
After the home team exits the mat, former Bulls stars Manjeet Chhillar and Ajay Thakur will be facing a hostile Kanteerava stadium after they decided to shift base to Pune as Puneri Paltan will take on Dabang Delhi. The Paltan suffered a 1-point loss to Telugu Titans in their only match so far, while the Eagles will look to return to winning ways after back to back losses in their opening 2 encounters.
In the only match of the day on Thursday, Bengal Warriors, fresh off a moraleboosting win over the Titans in Vizag, will look to derail another home express when they face Bengaluru Bulls. Nitin Tomar shined for the Warriors in their first match and captain Nilesh Shinde will be hoping he continues his pointscoring run.
Defending champions aim to bounce back in Bengaluru
U Mumba will be looking to a return to winning ways when they take on Dabang Delhi on 5th February. With new recruit Rakesh Kumar considerably strengthening the side, Delhi will have to be watchful against the defending champions. Bengaluru Bulls will face season 1 winners Jaipur Pink Panthers on the second match of the day. Jasvir Singh will be the one to watch out for as he has started the season on a positive note.
Patna Pirates will face the daunting task of taking on defending champions U Mumba on the final day of the Bengaluru leg. With youngster Pardeep Narwal shining for the Pirates, it should be a good battle when the semifinalists from last season face off. The final match of the day will witness the Bulls take on Rahul Chaudhari's Telugu Titans. With 2 wins and 2 losses at home, the Titans have had a mixed campaign so far and the team under the guidance of Dr. Ramesh Bhendigiri will be looking to be more consistent.
The Bengaluru leg is finely poised with some interesting matches. Plenty of movement is expected in the table once the fourday extravaganza at the Kanteerava Stadium culminates. The fans are waiting with bated breath for this one.