New Delhi: The most successful team in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), Patna Pirates, will begin their season 12th campaign against the UP Yoddhas, whereas in the second match of the night, Puneri Paltan will take on Gujarat Giants at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Vizag on September 1, Monday.
Match 1 of the night:
The last edition finalists Patna are in a rebuilding phase after releasing some of their key players and announcing new faces in captaincy and coaching ahead of the new season. Meanwhile, Yoddhas, who have consistently done well in the league stages, will look to start the new season with a win.
PKL veteran Anup Kumar will serve as head coach of Patna Pirates, taking charge of the team, which also has his former rival Maninder Singh in their ranks. Maninder is the second-highest raid point scorer in PKL history. Patna Pirates roped in Maninder to replace Devank Dalal, who was their top raider last season.
Whereas, Yoddhas retained their core group, including skipper Sumit, young raider Gagan Gowda, Bhavani Rajpur, and Hitesh. The addition of Guman Singh in the raiding department will definitely strengthen the Yoddhas’ chances in the opening match.
Patna Pirates vs UP Yoddhas head-to-head record
Matches played: 17
Patna Pirates won: 10
UP Yoddhas won: 6
Draw: 1
Match 2 of the night:
Both Puneri Paltan and Gujarat Giants are heading into the clash after playing thrilling tie-breakers in their respective last outings. Puneri Paltan held their nerves to win their match against Bengaluru Bulls, while Gujarat Giants lost the match on the last raid against U Mumba.
Giants’ skipper Mohammedreza Shadloui was disheartened after the loss against U Mumba. The most expensive player will look to bounce back in their second game. He played a key role in Haryana Steelers’ title triumph last season and knows how to take the team over the line after a loss.
Paltan’s mentality in the crunch moments is their strength to take down any opponent, as their skipper, Aslam Inamdar, returned to the squad after an injury. The presence of Inamdar will be a challenge for the Giants.
Puneri Paltan vs Gujarat Giants head-to-head record
Matches played: 16
Puneri Paltan won: 7
Gujarat Giants won: 8
Draw: 1
PKL matches today live telecast details:
The match no. 7 and 8 will be telecast on Star Sports Network on TV, whereas JioHotstar will live stream the matches on OTT for the Indian fans.