Pro Kabaddi: Patna Pirates look good to seal a semi-final spot
The Pro Kabaddi League 2015 is finally getting serious! With the end of the season inching closer with every passing day, all the teams are giving it their all to land a coveted spot in the semi-finals. While there are some crowd favourites like the U Mumba team and the Telugu Titans, another team that everyone is looking at with fresh enthusiasm is last season’s 3rd placed finishers – the Patna Pirates.
With players like Rakesh Kumar, Sandeep Narwal, Abhinandan Kumar, Deepak Narwal, Gurvinder Singh, Ravi Dalal, Amit Hooda and more, the team boasts of sporting talent that can win matches on their own. The Pirates have had a brilliant first season, finishing with 45 points, with 7 wins out of 14 matches. In Pro Kabaddi history, the Pirates have played 26 matches, winning 12. However, things haven't been looking so great for the side, with captain Rakesh Kumar injured, and missing 4 crucial matches.
The team has already proven that they are a strong side who deserve to be reckoned with, and if you don't believe us, then take a look at the team standings of season 2. The Pirates are just 5 points behind third placed Jaipur Pink Panthers, having played a match less. One of their recent matches, where the Pirates went against the Telugu Titans, on the 30th of July, saw them put up a strong fight, but eventually losing to the Titans.
The Titans dominated the match, coming up with 61% of the points. While the Titans had 19 raid points, the Pirates had only 10, but had more tackle points than the Titans. The final score of the Titans versus the Pirates was 34 – 22.
Another match worth mentioning was the Pirates' encounter against Dabang Delhi, which the Pirates won. With a scoreline of 39 – 22, there wasn't much of a challenge for the Pirates, who dominated throughout, with a 64% points rate, 17 raid points and 15 tackle points. Their next match was also a win, where they faced off against the Puneri Paltans, and won with 32 points against 28.
The Patna Pirates almost lost, with a point rate of 53% against 47%. The Pirates led with 18 raid points and 11 tackle points, as compared to the 17 raid points and 8 tackle points of the Punekars. Their most recent match was a tie, which was played against the Bengal Warriors, with 20 points to each team. Say what you will about them, but it seems like the Patna Pirates might just go to the semis!