League-leaders Jaipur Pink Panthers face a tough Telugu Titans assignment

The opening day of the Delhi leg will see a tough contest as table-toppers Jaipur Pink Panthers take on a revitalized Telugu Titans side at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex on Saturday. Both teams are coming into this contest on the back of contrasting performances. While Jaipur Pink Panthers held their nerve for a close victory over Tamil Thalaivas, Telugu Titans were highly impressive in their 11-point win over Haryana Steelers.     

Match 57: Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Telugu Titans

Head-to-head: Jaipur Pink Panthers 5 - 5 Telugu Titans, 1 tie.

Jaipur Pink Panthers

Played: 9

Won: 7

Tied: 0

Lost: 2

Win Rate: 77.77%

Best Raider: Deepak Niwas Hooda

Best Defender: Sandeep Dhull

After succumbing to a loss against U.P. Yoddha, Jaipur Pink Panthers responded with a clinical performance against Tamil Thalaivas in a game where they led for practically the entirety of the match. While Deepak Hooda and Sandeep Dhull had relatively quiet outings, raider Nilesh Salunke and defender Vishal starred with seven raid points and four tackle points, respectively. Deepak Narwal also came off the bench to score three raid points while Pavan TR managed a crucial Super Tackle that helped Jaipur Pink Panthers avoid an All-Out. While their star players have consistently delivered so far this season, coach Srinivas Reddy will be extremely pleased by the fact that the rest of his squad can stand up and make themselves count in their team’s moment of need. The coach will be hopeful that the team continues their stellar form so far and maintains its lead at the top of the standings.

Telugu Titans

Played: 9

Won: 2

Tied: 2

Lost: 5

Win Rate: 22.22%

Best Raider: Siddharth Desai

Best Defender: Vishal Bhardwaj

Telugu Titans have finally found some good form and have managed two wins and a tie in their previous three outings. Their last one against the Haryana Steelers was easily their best performance of the season as they beat the northerners by 11 points, making it their biggest win of the season. The star of the show was ‘Baahubali’ Siddharth Desai. He looked the raider that won the Best Debutant Award last season, ploughing through tackles and scoring touch points at will in a mammoth 18-point performance that led his side to victory. Desai was tackled just once in the match, as Haryana Steelers defenders were left gasping for answers against the powerful raider. The defence, too, enjoyed a solid outing with Corner duo Abozar Mohajermighani and Vishal Bhardwaj combining for six tackle points on the night. With Desai and the defence in top form, Telugu Titans will be a force to be reckoned with in their upcoming matches.