Jaipur-Bengal, Chennai-Mumbai to finish last Inter Zone Challenge Week

Saturday in Chennai witnessed two closely fought encounters where a single point separated the winners from the losers. Super Sunday rings in the last day of the third and last Inter Zone Challenge Week and will see hosts Tamil Thalaivas taking on U Mumba, and Jaipur Pink Panthers confronting Bengal Warriors. Here’s the lowdown on how the teams stack up against each other.

Match 104: Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Bengal Warriors

Head-to-head: Jaipur Pink Panthers 3-5 Bengal Warriors

Jaipur enter the match on the back of a narrow win against Tamil Thalaivas on Saturday, which is sure to boost the morale and confidence of the entire team. Jaipur are likely to start without injured duo Jasvir Singh and Selvamani K but even in their absence on several occasions previously, the young raiding brigade has delivered for the team. Manjeet Chhillar coming back to form is also good news for his team. With a ruthless attacking unit in Bengal Warriors lying in wait, Jaipur need to be on top of their game to forge an upset win.

Even after a disheartening loss in the last match, the Warriors enter tonight’s match as the favourites. Zone B’s second-placed team has almost cemented its place in the Super Playoffs and another win will strengthen their position and ambitions. The raiding unit has been at its finest this season with all the heavyweights delivering for the team and has been ably aided by a sturdy defence held together by skipper Surjeet Singh.

Khel Kabaddi Khiladi:

Tushar Patil

Tushar Patil’s presence in the Jaipur attack has been influential. Whenever the team has missed the presence of senior raiders due to injury, Patil has risen to the occasion. In the 9 matches he has played so far this season, he has picked up 33 points.

Maninder Singh

Maninder Singh has been priceless for the Warriors this season and the biggest threat to their opponents. His speed, strength and nimble feet have seen him picking up a whopping 139 points, studded with six Super 10s.

Match 105: Tamil Thalaivas vs U Mumba

After two straight losses at home, the Thalaivas’ chances of reaching the Super Playoffs has dimmed considerably. They still dwell at the bottom of Zone B, though a win today will see them rising to fifth in the table. The raiding department has performed significantly well in the last few matches but the inconsistency of the defence has cost them narrow losses. With U Mumba’s steady attack now waiting for them, the Thalaivas need to ensure they keep their momentum uniform throughout the match and not let the home expectations get to them.

U Mumba will enter tonight’s match with a slight edge after winning back-to-back encounters. The raiding unit boasts of star players alongside youngsters like Shrikant Jadhav and has been the more consistent department of the two. The defence had failed to get the right combination in the earlier stages of the league but bear a more settled look now. Against the Thalavias, Mumbai are likely to go for the kill and solidify their presence in Zone A.

Khel Kabaddi Khiladi:

Ajay Thakur

Thakur is in splendid form recently and has been raking up points at will. He was the initiator behind the Thalaivas’ last-gasp victories in the Delhi leg, and the team will bank on him heavily to pull off another coup to register their first home win.

Kashiling Adake

Kashiling Adake has been in ripe form over the last few matches. He picked up a massive 17 points in U Mumba’s last encounter and will be a crucial cog for his team tonight. He has scored 101 points this season and has shown no signs of stopping.

Catch action live on the Star Sports network and hotstar from 7.30 pm onwards.