Gujarat face Pune as Lucknow look for a change in fortunes

Season 5 of VIVO Pro Kabaddi continues at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium in Lucknow with a battle at the top of Zone A between first-placed Gujarat Fortunegiants and second-placed Puneri Paltan in first match of Tuesday evening. The second match of the evening will see hosts U.P. Yoddha taking on Bengal Warriors, desperate in search of their first win at home.

Match 40: (Zone A) Gujarat Fortunegiants vs Puneri Paltan

The Gujarat Fortunegiants will be coming into the encounter high on confidence after remaining undefeated in their home leg as they look to set things right after a draw with Bengal last time around. Corners Fazel Atrachali and Abozar Mighani will yet again play a crucial role for them in defence, while the onus in attack will be on skipper Sukesh Hegde and youngsters Sachin and Rohit Gulia.

Puneri Paltan, on the other hand, will be confident in their own ability after handing reigning champions Patna Pirates their first loss of the season in their previous encounter. However, key individuals like captain Deepak Hooda, Rajesh Mondal and Sandeep Narwal will have to be on top of their game to beat a rampaging Fortunegiants side. The experienced Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Ziaur Rahman, who was outstanding for Pune against Patna, will be expected to help the side hold their own in defence. 

Match 41: (Zone B) U.P. Yoddha vs Bengal Warriors

Head-to-Head: U.P. Yoddha 0-1 Bengal Warriors

Meanwhile, U.P. Yoddha head into the fourth game of their home leg winless in Lucknow. The hosts have lost all their previous encounters at home and need a win against the Warriors to reinvigorate the squad. The additional motivation for them will be to avenge their 40-20 loss at the hands of the Warriors earlier in the season.  The league’s costliest player skipper Nitin Tomar and star raider Rishank Devadiga need to operate in tandem to see their team over the line, while all-rounder Rajesh Narwal will also be expected to raise his game against Bengal.

The Warriors also require a victory on Tuesday after a tie with the Fortunegiants and two losses prior to that. All eyes will be on Deepak Narwal after a stunning performance against Gujarat that helped the Warriors draw the game. Besides him the raiding department will be heavily reliant on Jang Kun Lee and Maninder Singh, whereas captain Surjeet Singh and Ran Singh will marshal the defence as usual.

Catch the live action on the Star Sports network and hotstar from 8 pm onwards.