Telugu Titans and Haryana Steelers continue hunt for maiden win in Season 8

Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 8 action continues with a tasty double-delight on Tuesday.

First, Rahul Chaudhari and the Puneri Paltan will take on Monu Goyat and the Patna Pirates. Then, Baahubali Siddharth Desai and Telugu Titans will be in action against Vikash Kandola and the Haryana Steelers. 

Check out our preview for both matches:

Match 17: Puneri Paltan vs Patna Pirates

The Puneri Paltan bounced back from a disappointing loss in their season-opener against Dabang Delhi K.C. with a thrilling 34-33 win over the Telugu Titans. Youngsters Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat were particularly impressive, combining for 17 points. Vishal Bhardwaj also had a good outing, scoring three tackle points, but the Paltan will be concerned about Nitin Tomar’s fitness and Rahul Chaudhari’s form. The former sat out of the Paltan’s win over the Titans while the latter managed just one point. The team needs their veteran raiding duo to be fit and firing to have hopes of venturing deep this season.

After experiencing the thrill of winning a game in the dying moments in their season-opener, Patna Pirates felt the agony of their opponent stealing victory from underneath their noses in their last outing against U.P. Yoddha. The 35-36 loss must have stung, but the team will take solace in their raiding trio’s form. Prashanth Rai, Monu Goyat and Sachin combined to score 23 points, a welcome sight for the Pirates. Iranian all-rounder Mohammadreza Chiyaneh announced himself with a seven-point performance. If the Pirates can weed out some errors, they will find themselves winning often.

Puneri Paltan vs Patna Pirates head-to-head

Puneri Paltan have played 15 games against the Patna Pirates and have won just twice. They have lost 11 and tied two games against the three-time PKL champions.

Match 18: Telugu Titans vs Haryana Steelers

So far in Season 8, the Telugu Titans have played in two thrillers but have tied one and lost one. They currently sit near the bottom of the table and need their morale-boosting win to kickstart their campaign. Outside of Siddharth Desai, no other player has hit double digits in points this season for the Telugu Titans. Desai, who has scored a Super 10 in both games, needs the support to come through if the team are to retain hopes of ending their playoff drought.  

The Haryana Steelers have had a tumultuous start to their campaign and are the only team to lose both their matches this season. But neither loss has been heavy, meaning a couple of key moments going in their favour could have easily seen them win both games. But the reality is they have dropped two games and need a win to kickstart their season. The Steelers will want their team to follow Vikash Kandola and Surender Nada’s footsteps. The duo has been impressive this season, and the team will want the rest of the roster to follow their lead. 

Telugu Titans vs Haryana Steelers head-to-head

Through five matches, the Telugu Titans hold a slender 3-2 over the Haryana Steelers in their head-to-head clashes. Both teams won a game each against the other in Season 7.

PKL Schedule for Tuesday, December 28 

Match 17: Puneri Paltan vs Patna Pirates, 7:30 PM IST

Match 18: Telugu Titans vs Haryana Steelers, 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.

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