Dabang Delhi gunning for hattrick of wins, while Bengal Warriors and U.P. Yoddha look to extend unbeaten run

What better way to start the weekend than watch three of vivo Pro Kabaddi’s greatest raiders in action?

In the first game on Friday, Naveen Kumar and Dabang Delhi K.C. will take on Haryana Steelers. In the main event, Maninder Singh and the Bengal Warriors will battle Pardeep Narwal and U.P. Yoddha.

Check out our preview for both matches:

Match 68: Dabang Delhi K.C. vs Haryana Steelers

After suffering two consecutive losses, including a 61-22 humbling at the hands of the Bengaluru Bulls, Dabang Delhi K.C. have bounced back and won two games on the trot and reclaimed the top spot on the points table. Their victory over the Patna Pirates in their last outing was particularly impressive. They held Patna’s potent raiding unit to just 17 points and scored 20 themselves, despite not having the services of Naveen Kumar. All-rounder Vijay and Sandeep Narwal held the fort in the Naveen Express’ absence, leading Delhi to a 32-29 victory. Delhi is averaging the fewest tackle points this season but is slowly finding its footing. If the defence has another stellar outing and Naveen makes his return to the mat, Delhi will back themselves to win and continue their reign atop the standings.

In their previous outing, the Steelers registered an impressive 37-30 victory over the Puneri Paltan. The raiding unit had a quiet day and finished the contest with just 14 points, but the defence was spectacular, with both Jaideep and Mohit scoring seven tackle points. Surender Nada ended the game with just one tackle point but was always on hand to assist tackles, as he continues to showcase that age is just a number. Haryana’s offence and defence are both top six in the league, but the game against the Paltan was another example of how both units don’t perform well simultaneously, putting the onus on one to carry the team to victory. If both units click together, the Steelers will be one of the toughest teams to beat.  

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

The Haryana Steelers hold a 6-3 lead in their head-to-head matches against Dabang Delhi K.C. The two teams last met only six days ago. Delhi beat Haryana 28-25.

Match 69: Bengal Warriors vs U.P. Yoddha

The Bengal Warriors have seemingly hit top gear, as they are now unbeaten in their last four games and have climbed to fourth on the points table. They registered a gritty 40-39 win over the Bengaluru Bulls on Thursday, but it was aided by a stroke of fortune. The Warriors, though, won’t care how they win games as long as they do. Maninder had a quiet night by his lofty standards, as he finished the game with eight raid points. He’ll be looking to right that tonight against U.P. Yoddha and help his side close the gap on the top three teams in the standings.

After a tumultuous start to the campaign, U.P. Yoddha have finally found their footing. They are unbeaten in their last four games, and their stars are firing on all cylinders. Pardeep Narwal has registered back-to-back Super 10s in U.P.’s previous two games, but the Record-Breaker hasn’t been the one grabbing the headlines. Surender Gill has emerged as his team’s primary raider on merit. The young star has scored 42 points in U.P.’s last three matches and is the fifth-highest points scorer in the league this season with 102. With Gill, Pardeep, and Shrikant Jadhav handling the business on offence, Sumit and Nitesh Kumar are getting the job done on defence. The corner duo had a quiet start to the season but have racked up tackle points aplenty during U.P. Yoddha’s recent surge. Nitesh and Sumit sit 10^th and 11^th on the list of the league’s top tackle points scorers, and if they continue their recent form, they will be rising the ranks soon. With their defence and offence playing well in tandem, U.P. Yoddha will be a challenging proposition for any team they come up against.

Bengal Warriors vs U.P. Yoddha head-to-head

The Bengal Warriors and U.P. Yoddha have met nine times in vivo PKL. Bengal has won four matches, while U.P. have emerged victors twice. Three games between the two have finished in a tie. Their first meeting this season ended 38-33 in favour of the Warriors.

PKL Schedule for Friday, January 21

Match 68:  Dabang Delhi K.C. vs Haryana Steelers, 7:30 PM IST

Match 69: Bengal Warriors vs U.P. Yoddha, 8:30 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.