Day 3 to witness a fresh battle, and an old duel between two star raiders

VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 is off to a flying start with fans witnessing high-octane action on both Day 1 and Day 2. With kabaddi fever gripping the country, we now shift our focus to Day 3 of the league. Let’s take a look at the clashes of the day.

Match 5 (Zone A): U Mumba vs Haryana Steelers

After a loss in their first game against an inspired Puneri Paltan, where their strong attacking unit crumbled under pressure, Season 2 champions U Mumba will be keen to make a comeback in their next outing. Their opposition, debutants Haryana Steelers, on the other hand, seem to be raring to go for their first ever VIVO Pro Kabaddi experience. 

Haryana captain Surender Nada will be keeping his eye on continuing his glistening form from the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup and keeping his team’s morale high. He will be ably aided in the defensive unit by the seasoned Mohit Chhillar and Rakesh Singh Kumar, alongside some of the younger recruits. The main raiders in the team are Surjeet Singh, Deepak Kumar Dahiya, Wazir Singh and Prashanth Kumar Rai, who could give the U Mumba defenders a tough time on the mat.

The Mumbai franchise feature the likes of ‘Captain Cool’ Anup Kumar, Kashiling Adake, Shabeer Bappu and Nitin Madane in their attacking ranks, with the defence being manned by D Suresh Kumar and Joginder Narwal, ably supported by players like Hadi Oshtorak and Kuldeep Singh.

The Steelers have their work cut out for them considering how formidable their opponents are. But don’t write them off because they could spring a surprise.

Match 6 (Zone B): Telugu Titans vs Bengaluru Bulls

Head-to-Head: Telugu Titans 3-5 Bengaluru Bulls (plus 1 tied result)

Telugu Titans have already played two matches this season on their home turf, where they defeated Tamil Thalaivas in the opener but faced defeat against defending champions Patna Pirates on Saturday. Star raider Rahul Chaudhari’s men will not let the setback hurt their morale and will look to assert their dominance against the Bulls.

Bengaluru Bulls had a disappointing Season 4 where they finished sixth in the league but now they come into the competition with a new team and the aim of winning the elusive trophy. Captain Rohit Kumar had two great seasons prior to this and will look to do the same this time around.

‘Raid Machine’ Chaudhari, meanwhile, will lead the raiding department for the Titans supported by the likes of Nilesh Salunke and Vinoth Kumar. Star all-rounders Rakesh Kumar and Vishal Bhardwaj are also important players to watch out for. The defensive line-up also boasts of Rohit Rana, Amit Singh Chhillar and Vinod Kumar. With this and the previous match, one can safely say Sunday’s stage is ready for more excitement!

Catch all the live action of VIVO Pro Kabaddi 8:00 PM IST onwards on the Star Sports network and hotstar.