After a close defeat in the opening fixture of their home leg, Telugu Titans face a visit from Jaipur Pink Panthers at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Vizag on Saturday. Both teams are in the hunt for a spot in the Playoffs and need a win to close the gap on the third-placed teams in their respective zones and get momentum on their side going forward.

The two teams last met in Season 5 where Telugu Titans, led by Rahul Chaudhari’s 17-point performance, came out on top by a scoreline of 41-34.

Match 103 (Inter Zone Challenge Week): Telugu Titans vs. Jaipur Pink Panthers

Head-to-head: Jaipur Pink Panthers 5-4 Telugu Titans. 1 Tie.

Form Guide:

Telugu Titans

RESULT(W-T-L)

POINTS SCORED

POINTS CONCEDED

Vs. Gujarat Fortunegiants

LOST

27

29

Vs. Dabang Delhi K.C.

LOST

29

34

Vs. Bengaluru Bulls

LOST

26

34

Vs. Tamil Thalaivas

LOST

25

31

Vs. Tamil Thalaivas

LOST

23

27

TOTAL

0-0-5

130

155

Stats from the last five matches –

Average Points Scored – 26

Average Points Conceded – 31

Best Raider- Rahul Chaudhari

Best Defender – Vishal Bhardwaj

Jaipur Pink Panthers

RESULT(W-T-L)

POINTS SCORED

POINTS CONCEDED

Vs. Dabang Delhi K.C.

LOST

35

48

Vs. Puneri Paltan

TIED

30

30

Vs. Bengaluru Bulls

LOST

32

45

Vs. U.P. Yoddha

WON

45

28

Vs. Dabang Delhi K.C.

LOST

29

40

TOTAL

1-1-3

171

191

Stats from the last five matches –

Average Points Scored – 34

Average Points Conceded – 38.2

Best Raider – Deepak Niwas Hooda 

Best Defender – Mohit Chhillar

 

The big battle –

Deepak Niwas Hooda vs. Vishal Bhardwaj

Telugu Titans’ captain Vishal Bhardwaj and Jaipur Pink Panthers’ all-rounder Deepak Niwas Hooda have been brilliant in VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 6.

Bhardwaj leads the league in average tackle points with 3.9 and leads his team in tackle points with 39. Not only has Bhardwaj been prolific in that Left Corner position, his strike rate ranks the best among all players with over 20 tackle points, showcasing his stellar efficiency.

Hooda started off the season slowly but exploded into life in Jaipur Pink Panthers’ last seven outings, clocking 85 raid points at a healthy average of 12.14; the best of any player in that period. Hooda has 77 more raid points than the next best raider for Jaipur Pink Panthers, indicating his value to his team’s offence.

Bhardwaj and Hooda are among their team’s best performers and, if Telugu Titans and Jaipur Panthers are to make a late push for a Playoffs spot, both these stars will have to play a significant role on the mat for their teams.   

Key Khiladi -

Rahul Chaudhari – Telugu Titans

With 105 raid points in 14 matches, Telugu Titans’ lead raider Rahul Chaudhari has had a good campaign so far in VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 6. Telugu Titans rank 12th in the league in average raid points and need their offence to contribute during their home leg to boost their hopes of a Playoffs berth. Chaudhari has only one Super 10 to his name so far and Telugu Titans will need their star to fire if they are to do well in front of their home fans.

Sandeep Dhull – Jaipur Pink Panthers

Sandeep Dhull’s form has been a silver lining for Jaipur Pink Panthers in this campaign. The Left Corner is joint-top in tackle points for Jaipur Pink Panthers with 31 and has a decent average of 2.38 tackle points per match. With Telugu Titans boasting of a strong core of right raiders in Chaudhari, Mohsen Maghsoudloujafari and Farhad Milaghardan, Dhull’s performance could prove to be the telling difference in this contest.