Bengal Warriors aim for their second win over U.P. Yoddha this season

U.P. Yoddha will be eyeing back-to-back wins when they go up against Bengal Warriors at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday. Despite not being in the top 6 at the moment, U.P. Yoddha aren’t that far off the playoff spots and can move up the table quickly with a few good results. Bengal Warriors, on the other hand, are in a good position to secure a semi-final spot and they’ll be looking to beat U.P. Yoddha for the second time in vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 to further strengthen their position.   

Match 69: U.P. Yoddha vs Bengal Warriors 

Head-to-head: U.P. Yoddha 1 – 3 Bengal Warriors. 3 Ties.

U.P. Yoddha

Form guide:

Played: 11

Won: 4

Tied: 2

Lost: 5

Win rate: 36.36%

Best Raider: Shrikant Jadhav

Best Defender: Sumit

U.P. Yoddha will be hoping that Shrikant Jadhav carries his form from their last game into the clash against Bengal Warriors. With both Monu Goyat and Rishank Devadiga ruled out of their previous game due to injury, Jadhav rose to the challenge of being their main raider with a team-high 15 raid points against Puneri Paltan. U.P. Yoddha will want Jadhav to maintain his fine form, while also hoping that Goyat and Devadiga can give them an extra edge by returning to the side. If the trio of Jadhav, Goyat and Devadiga can get going and produce the goods, they’re certain to pose massive threats to any opposition defence. Their defence, meanwhile, will need to be a bit more careful in their execution and decision-making. Sumit has been their best defender in this campaign and is their leading tackle points scorer by some distance. Captain Nitesh Kumar and Ashu Singh though will want to be more consistent and make bigger contributions in defence.  

Bengal Warriors

Form guide:

Played: 11

Won: 6

Tied: 2

Lost: 3

Win rate: 54.55%

Best Raider: Maninder Singh

Best Defender: Rinku Narwal

Bengal Warriors have already beaten U.P. Yoddha in convincing fashion once this season and they’ll be looking to do the double over them on Sunday. With skipper Maninder Singh and K. Prapanjan, who scored a Super 10 in their last outing, both in good form; coach BC Ramesh is likely to settle for nothing less than maximum points. One of the few teams to consistently score raid points in abundance this year, all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh is another individual who’s delivered points in crucial moments for Bengal Warriors. Their defence has also been difficult to play against with the experienced Jeeva Kumar marshalling his troops. Jeeva along with Baldev Singh and Rinku Narwal have stamped their authority on most opposition raiding units, and they’ll want to continue doing the same on Sunday. Rinku, in fact, has been the pick of the defenders in their last few games and heads into the contest after registering a High 5.