Patna target extending winning run at home against Zone B leaders Bengal

Day 3 of the Ranchi leg at the Harivansh Tana Bhagat Indoor Stadium promises to be a cracker. The first match of the evening will see two bottom teams from Zone A - Jaipur Pink Panthers and Dabang Delhi K.C. - go toe-to-toe, while home team and defending champions Patna Pirates entertain Bengal Warriors in a top of the table clash in Zone B.

Match 82 (Zone A): Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Dabang Delhi K.C.

Head-to-head: Jaipur Pink Panthers 6-2 Dabang Delhi K.C. 1 tie.

Jaipur will be looking to cast Delhi further adrift in Zone A with a win after a tie in their last match against Haryana Steelers. The Panthers will need to end the league stage strongly after a below-par start to the campaign, if they want to make the qualifiers. The return of their skipper and One-Man-Army Manjeet Chhillar to the starting line-up will act a massive boost to the side. Another player from Jaipur to keep an eye on besides the experienced Jasvir Singh is Nitin Rawal, who bagged a Super 10 last time around.

Delhi, meanwhile, cannot afford many more slip-ups if they still want to nurture hopes of making it to the qualifiers. They currently prop up Zone A and were deprived of the services of their captain Meraj Sheykh in their last match due to injury. Fellow Iranian Abolfazl Maghsodlou will need to lead their attack, while the likes of Rohit Baliyan and Anand Patil also need to put in a good showing if they want to defeat Jaipur.

Match 83 (Zone B): Patna Pirates vs Bengal Warriors

Head-to-head: Patna Pirates 6-2 Bengal Warriors. 2 ties.

The Pirates head into the clash with two wins at home in as many days and will be looking to extend their winning streak in Ranchi against a formidable Bengal outfit, who are perched on top of Zone B. Patna will have the added incentive of knowing a win against Bengal will put them on top of the zone, however, Pardeep Narwal, Monu Goyat and Vishal Mane will all need to fire if the hosts are to get the better of their eastern rivals.

Bengal, on the other hand, head into the fixture in a confident mood having been undefeated in their previous two meetings against the reigning champions this season with a tie and a win. One of the few teams to have got the better of Patna in recent times, the Warriors will be hoping to stretch their unbeaten run against the Pirates this year with the likes of Maninder Singh, Jang Kun Lee, Surjeet Singh and Ran Singh, all on top of their game.

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