Jaipur look to finish home leg on a high against U.P.

Jaipur Pink Panthers’ playoff hopes might be over after their defeat against Haryana Steelers on Wednesday but they will still look to give their home fans something to cheer in what will be their last home game on Thursday against U.P. Yoddha. Here is a look at how both the teams measure against each other.

Match 121 (Inter Zonal Wildcard): Jaipur Pink Panthers vs U.P. Yoddha

Head-to-head: Jaipur Pink Panthers 1-0 U.P. Yoddha

U.P. Yoddha have everything to play for when they take on Jaipur Pink Panthers on Thursday as a win here will make their playoff journey a lot easier. However, Jaipur will also look to win the battle even though they may have lost the war and one can expect them to come down hard on the Yoddha.

Jaipur have looked suspect throughout their campaign with the big names failing to come up with the goods when required. Pawan Kumar has been quiet in the last few games and he will look to get back to his earlier form which has made him the team’s most lethal raider. Manjeet Chhillar’s return will be vital for the team since he is the one defender who can intimidate U.P.’s big names Nitin Tomar and Rishank Devadiga. All-rounder Nitin Rawal has proven his effectiveness in tough situations and how captain Chhillar uses him might make the difference for Jaipur.

After Bengaluru Bulls’ win against Dabang Delhi on Wednesday, U.P. Yoddha are under pressure to get six points from their remaining 3 games in order to seal their place in the playoffs. Their captain Tomar has been in explosive form of late and Jaipur will have to make sure he doesn’t get off to a flyer if they are to get maximum points from this game. Second raider Devadiga has also been providing able support to the captain. What has really been working for U.P., though, has been the form of their young defender Sagar Krishna. He and Jeeva Kumar have been keeping the opponent raiders in check which has allowed their own raiders to attack freely.

Khel Kabaddi Khiladi:

Nitin Rawal

The all-rounder was Jaipur’s best performer against Dabang Delhi K.C. and almost completed the double of a Super 10 and High 5 in a single game. He has 75 points from 19 matches so far and is sure to get plenty more before the end of Jaipur’s campaign.

Sagar Krishna

Young Sagar Krishna impressed one and all in U.P. Yoddha’s game against Puneri Paltan by reaching his High 5 and has since been the mainstay of the U.P. defence. So far he has 31 points from 14 matches.

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