Jaipur Pink Panthers’ second game at Vizag sees them looking for a win

The final day of the Inter Zone Challenge Week kicks off with Tamil Thalaivas taking on Jaipur Pink Panthers at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Vizag on Sunday. Both teams are currently chasing a Playoffs berth, with Tamil Thalaivas having finished their home leg but Jaipur Pink Panthers still to play theirs.

The two teams last faced off in Season 5 where, despite Ajay Thakur’s 13-point effort, Jaipur Pink Panthers came out on top by a narrow margin of 27-26.

Match 104 (Inter Zone Challenge Week): Tamil Thalaivas vs. Jaipur Pink Panthers

Head-to-head: Jaipur Pink Panthers 1-0 Tamil Thalaivas

Form Guide:

Stats from the last five matches –

Average Points Scored – 29.6

Average Points Conceded – 35.6

Best Raider – Ajay Thakur

Best Defender – Manjeet Chhillar

Stats from the last five matches –

Average Points Scored – 33.6

Average Points Conceded – 37.4

Best Raider- Deepak Niwas Hooda

Best Defender – Sandeep Dhull

The big battle –

Ajay Thakur vs. Deepak Niwas Hooda

This fixture will pit two of the league’s best raiders, Ajay Thakur and Deepak Niwas Hooda, against each other as both players try to elevate their teams into the top three spots of their respective zones.

Ajay Thakur has carried on from Season 5 and enjoyed another brilliant campaign this year. Thakur finished third in the Best Raiders’ standings last year, concluding the season with 213 raid points at an average of 9.68. However, in Season 6, Thakur has already clocked up 168 raid points in just 17 appearances at an average of 9.88 raid points per game, proving that he’s only getting better with time.  

Deepak Niwas Hooda started the campaign with just 30 raid points in his first six appearances but since then has gone on to score 95 in eight outings, making him one of the most in-form players in the league. Hooda has almost single-handedly carried the Jaipur Pink Panthers’ offence this campaign and has scored more raid points on his own than the combined tally of the team’s next four best raiders.

Both masters of their art, Thakur and Hooda will be expected to do the major chunk of the raiding in this fixture and the player that outperforms the other will likely bring home five important points for his team.

Key Khiladi -

Manjeet Chhillar – Tamil Thalaivas

Manjeet Chhillar will come up against his side from last season with form favouring him in recent games. Chhillar has already surpassed his tackle points tally from Season 5 in what has been a brilliant campaign for the veteran all-rounder. He will be keen to add to his tally of 58 tackle points and close the gap on Fazel Atrachali, who currently leads the Best Defender’s race with 71 tackle points. 

Anup Kumar – Jaipur Pink Panthers

Jaipur Pink Panthers captain Anup Kumar may have taken a backseat as a raider to Hooda, but his leadership remains vital to his team. Having led U Mumba to three VIVO Pro Kabaddi finals appearances, Kumar is no stranger to high-pressure situations. Kumar’s presence on the mat to dictate the team’s play and his contribution as the secondary raider will be crucial to Jaipur Pink Panthers’ chances of beating an experienced Tamil Thalaivas roster.