Naveen Kumar and Dabang Delhi K.C. looking to end two-game losing streak when they face Haryana Steelers

Saturday’s Triple Panga features three enthralling games that promise to alter the vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 8 significantly.

In the first game, Haryana Steelers will battle Dabang Delhi K.C., and later, U.P. Yoddha will go head-to-head against the Telugu Titans. In the main event, U Mumba will face defending champions Bengal Warriors.   

Ahead of this Saturday’s Triple Panga, check out our preview for all three games:

Match 55: Haryana Steelers vs Dabang Delhi K.C.

In their last game, the Haryana Steelers mounted an incredible comeback against U.P. Yoddha to secure a 36-36 tie. Skipper Vikash Kandola was spectacular, especially late in the game, and finished with a season-high 17 points. Meetu was also impactful and managed to score six points, while on defence, Jaideep and Surender Nada continued to impress, scoring three and five tackle points, respectively. Barring the blemish against the Tamil Thalaivas, the Steelers have been in decent form of late. They have won two, tied two and lost one of their last five matches. They are teetering on the edge of the playoff places and will look to close the gap with a win over Delhi.

Speaking of Delhi, their perfect season has been demolished in their last two games. First, they were beaten by the Jaipur Pink Panthers, which ended their unbeaten start to the season, then they lost 61-22 to the Bengaluru Bulls, the second heaviest defeat in vivo Pro Kabaddi history. The team has had the luxury to bank on Naveen Kumar, but Delhi completely unravelled in his absence, which is not a good sign, especially if the raider is out for an extended period. Delhi’s veteran stars need to step up and help Delhi end this slump and get back to winning ways.

Haryana Steelers vs Dabang Delhi K.C. head-to-head

The Haryana Steelers have enjoyed playing against Dabang Delhi K.C. Haryana has won six of their eight matches against Delhi and lost just two.

Match 56: U.P. Yoddha vs Telugu Titans

In their last game, U.P. Yoddha were in a strong position against the Haryana Steelers but eventually had to settle for a tie. Had U.P. Yoddha won that game, they would currently be in a playoff spot and not on edge. Regardless, they are now unbeaten in two games and would look to extend it to three on Saturday. They will bank on the in-form Surender Gill to continue being the lynchpin on offence. Pardeep Narwal had an excellent first half against the Steelers, and U.P. will be hoping the Record-Breaker is only getting warmed up and will pick up form as the season chugs along.

The Telugu Titans are yet to win a game in Season 8. They have lost six and tied two of their eight games. Siddharth Desai’s absence has been detrimental to the team. They have tied one and lost four straight without the Baahubali. Ankit Beniwal and Rajnish have been impressive and have recorded Super 10s, but their performances haven’t helped the team’s results. Telugu needs a titanic turn in tides to make it to the playoffs, and time is running out for them to flip their fortunes. 

U.P. Yoddha vs Telugu Titans head-to-head

U.P. Yoddha hold a 4-2 lead in their head-to-head games against the Telugu Titans. The two teams have also played out a couple of ties.

Match 57: U Mumba vs Bengal Warriors

U Mumba were teetering along well this season but have suddenly succumbed to heavy losses in their last two matches, putting their campaign in jeopardy. They lost by 20 points against the Patna Pirates and were beaten by 19 in the Maharashtra Derby against the Puneri Paltan. The absence of V Ajith Kumar in those games has hurt the U Mumba raiding unit. But a combined nine raid points in the first halves of the last two matches isn’t good enough, irrespective of the personnel on the mat. The team will want Abhishek Singh to step up and be the lead raider they bought him to be. U Mumba need a big performance to boost their morale and beating the team that ended their campaign last season provides the perfect opportunity.

The Bengal Warriors avoided slipping to a hattrick of defeats by beating the Tamil Thalaivas 37-28 in their last outing. Skipper Maninder Singh continued his sparkling form and finished with 12 points. Coach BC Ramesh would be content with his team’s win but would still be upset about their recent form. The Warriors have lost five out of their last seven matches and have slipped to ninth on the points table. Their defence has been subpar and ranks 11th in the league in average tackle points per game. They managed 13 tackle points against the Thalaivas, and coach BC Ramesh will be hoping that is a sign of things to come and not just a flash in the pan. 

U Mumba vs Bengal Warriors head-to-head

U Mumba have won 10 and lost four of the 14 matches they have played against the Bengal Warriors. The two sides last met in the semi-final last season, where the Warriors beat U Mumba 37-35.

PKL Schedule for Saturday, January 15

Match 55: Haryana Steelers vs. Dabang Delhi K.C., 7:30 PM IST

Match 56: U.P. Yoddha vs. Telugu Titans, 8:30 PM IST

Match 57: U Mumba vs. Bengal Warriors, 9:30 PM IST

Where to watch vivo Pro Kabaddi live?

Catch all the LIVE action from vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 8 on the Star Sports Network and LIVE streaming on Disney+Hotstar.