Day 53 of vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 9 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday gives us two tantalizing contests. In the first match, three-time champions Patna Pirates face Bengaluru Bulls, while Tamil Thalaivas take on U.P. Yoddhas in the second encounter.

Here are our previews for these games.

Match 124: Patna Pirates vs Bengaluru Bulls

After a rather underwhelming season that’s seen them win seven, lose 10 and play out three ties, Patna Pirates will be hoping to end the league stage on a positive note. They will need their main raiders Sachin (172 raid points) and Rohit Gulia (138 raid points) to be on top of their game and lead from the front to beat the Bulls. Defensively, Mohammadreza Chiyaneh will be their biggest weapon as he looks to add to his 74 tackle points this season. Sunil (37 tackle points) and Neeraj Kumar (29 tackle points) will also hope to chip in with some solid tackles come Wednesday.

Bengaluru Bulls, on the other hand, have already qualified for the playoffs and will be looking to continue with their winning momentum having managed 12 wins, seven losses and a tie so far. Their biggest threats in the attack have been Bharat (237 raid points) and Vikash Kandola (110 raid points), while Neeraj Narwal has looked good for his 77 raid points this season. In defence, Saurabh Nandal has been their main man with 58 tackle points, while Aman isn’t far behind with 47 tackle points. Skipper Mahender Singh and Neeraj Narwal have chipped in with 37 and 21 tackle points respectively.

Patna Pirates vs Bengaluru Bulls head-to-head

Patna Pirates and Bengaluru Bulls have played 20 matches against each other. Out of which, Patna Pirates have won 12 matches while Bengaluru Bulls have won five matches. Three matches ended in ties.

Match 125: Tamil Thalaivas vs U.P. Yoddhas

 

Tamil Thalaivas have lost just one of their last five matches and have nine wins, seven losses and four ties in Season 9. Young Narender with 210 raid points has been the team’s go-to player, while Ajinkya Pawar - who has been in fine form of late - has contributed when needed as his 106 raid points show. As far as their defence goes, Sagar has been the team’s standout tackler with 53 tackle points, while Sahil Gulia has had a big impact as well through his 50 tackle points. M. Abishek and Mohit have also contributed 35 and 26 tackle points respectively.

U.P. Yoddhas, meanwhile, are already through to the playoffs and will be keen for a win on Wednesday after a loss in their last outing. Unsurprisingly, Pardeep Narwal has been the team’s talisman with 208 raid points, while Surender Gill (132 raid points) and Rohit Tomar (63 raid points) have provided the Dubki King with great support. On the defensive front, Sumit with 49 tackle points has been the Yoddhas’ best tackler and he’s had help from Ashu Singh, who has managed 47 tackle points. Gurdeep and Nitesh Kumar have also chipped in with 32 and 31 tackle points respectively.

Tamil Thalaivas vs U.P. Yoddhas head-to-head

Tamil Thalaivas and U.P. Yoddhas have met 11 times. Out of these, Tamil Thalaivas have won three whereas U.P. Yoddhas have won five matches. Three matches concluded in ties.

vivo PKL Schedule for December 7, Wednesday 7:30 PM onwards

Match 124: Patna Pirates vs Bengaluru Bulls

Match 125: Tamil Thalaivas vs U.P. Yoddhas

Where to watch vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 9 LIVE?

Catch all the LIVE action from vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 9 on the Star Sports Network and LIVE streaming on Disney+Hotstar.