Patna Pirates target capping off home leg with a win over Bengal Warriors

In the final game of their home leg, Patna Pirates will play the first of their three games in VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 6 against Zone B rivals Bengal Warriors at the Patliputra Indoor Stadium in Patna.

Patna Pirates have succumbed to defeat only twice but have come out on the winning side seven times against Bengal Warriors in their 12 encounters so far in VIVO Pro Kabaddi. The two teams have played out three ties, a record which promises to make the game very interesting.

They have provided excitement-galore in their battles in Season 5, with each team winning once against the other while their other two matches finished in ties. But the most memorable of the fixtures between Patna Pirates and Bengal Warriors in Season 5 was their incredible battle in Qualifier 2, where Patna Pirates narrowly edged out Bengal Warriors 47-44 in a high-scoring match.

Match 43 (Zone B): Patna Pirates vs. Bengal Warriors

Head-to-head: Patna Pirates 7-2 Bengal Warriors. 3 ties.

Patna Pirates are looking to end a four-game losing streak at home and couldn’t have hoped for a better fixture to do so. They battle Bengal Warriors, a team they have lost to only twice in their 12 encounters so far, giving them a psychological edge heading into the match. Rookie raider Manjeet was outstanding against Bengaluru Bulls, scoring 10 raid points, but will be up against a tough test when he meets PO Surjeet Singh and Ran Singh on the mat.

Bengal Warriors put in a brilliant team-effort in the previous match against Jaipur Pink Panthers, coming out victors by a scoreline of 39-28. Five out of their starting seven managed five or more points in this triumph, with Mahesh Goud leading the way having scored 9. Corner Ran Singh and captain PO Surjeet Singh scored eight out of their team’s 12 tackle points, with Surjeet Singh managing a High 5.

The big battle –

Pardeep Narwal vs. PO Surjeet Singh

While no team has escaped the excellence of Pardeep Narwal, Bengal Warriors have found themselves on the receiving end quite a few times, conceding 87 points in eight games against the mercurial raider. His last match against Bengal Warriors in Season 5 saw him score 23 raid points in Qualifier 2 as he led his team into the final. Another performance like that would not only leave the home fans with a lot to cheer about, but will also help ensure a victory for his team.

Surjeet Singh has managed two High 5s in his first five games so far in this campaign and leads his team with 17 tackle points.

Theirs 24 duels have seen Surjeet Singh score seven tackle points against Narwal, whereas the raider has scored 27 raid points against the Cover defender. The score as it stands may be in favour of Narwal but Surjeet Singh has shown time and again that, on his day, he is capable of neutralising any raider.

Key Khiladi –

Manjeet – Patna Pirates

Rookie raider Manjeet has been the find of the season for Patna Pirates. He delivered his biggest performance yet in their previous game against Bengaluru Bulls, scoring the first Super 10 of his young career. He also got an impressive Super Raid in the same game, displaying his ever-improving skillset. Patna Pirates will be hopeful that Manjeet can now bring consistency to his game and will be reliant on him to score well as the secondary raider in the team.

Maninder Singh – Bengal Warriors

With 49 raid points in five games, Maninder Singh has led the Bengal Warriors offence in Season 6. Singh has also enjoyed success against Patna Pirates, scoring 68 raid points in just six games at an average of 11.33; well above his career average of 8.78. Maninder Singh’s record and consistency against them makes him the catalyst to Bengal Warriors’ success in their recent battle against Patna Pirates.