Telugu Titans stand in the way of Patna Pirates’ charge

The action in Pune continues, as defending champions Patna Pirates take on Telugu Titans in Match 23 of VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 6 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune on Friday.

After a defeat on the opening night against Tamil Thalaivas, Patna Pirates showcased their championship pedigree with two wins on the trot. Captain Pardeep Narwal has been in top form for his side leading them in scoring with 41 points. Patna Pirates will look to win their third straight match when they lock horns with Telugu Titans.

After a strong start to the season that saw them win their opening two games, Telugu Titans were beaten by Bengal Warriors to hand them their first defeat of the campaign. Nevertheless, Telugu Titans will take pride in the fact that their defence has been outstanding so far this campaign. They’ll look to score a win against the defending champions and kickstart another good run of results in their upcoming games.

Match 23 (Zone B): Patna Pirates vs. Telugu Titans

Head-to-head: Patna Pirates 6-6 Telugu Titans

Patna Pirates have been brilliant in their last two games against U.P. Yoddha, scoring 43 points in both encounters. Skipper Pardeep Narwal has led the way for his side and is being ably supported by Deepak Narwal in the offence. Jaideep and Vijay’s contributions in defence were key in keeping the U.P. Yoddha raiders in check, as they ensured that their opponents couldn’t build a solid lead at any point in their two matches against Patna Pirates. With both defence and offence clicking together for the three-time champions, Patna Pirates will look to make good of their form and continue their current sequence of wins when they take on Telugu Titans.

Telugu Titans’ defence has been titanic in their three matches so far this campaign. They have allowed 30 or more points only once, showing that the defence is making life incredibly hard for opposition raiders. Abozar Mohajermighani and captain Vishal Bhardwaj have been stalwarts in defence and with a battle against Pardeep Narwal up next, Telugu Titans’ dynamic defensive duo will have to be at their very best to keep Narwal in check. The two teams are currently tied at six apiece after 12 matches against each other in VIVO Pro Kabaddi and Telugu Titans will be eager to be the first ones to reach seven.

The big battle

Pardeep Narwal vs. Abozar Mohajermighani

After an 11-point outing in Patna Pirates’ opening match against Tamil Thalaivas, Pardeep Narwal kicked into overdrive, scoring 30 points in the following two games, averaging a whopping 15 points a match. With Telugu Titans’ defence being in a rich vein of form, Narwal will have to play well yet again to ensure victory for his team. Speaking of the Telugu Titans defence, the key to winning this match for them is ensuring that Narwal isn’t allowed a big night and Right Corner Abozar Mohajermighani will be tasked with the responsibility of keeping him in check. Mohajermighani has scored 13 tackle points in three game with one High 5 this season and Telugu Titans will hope he can continue his form and limit Narwal’s impact.

Key Khiladi

Deepak Narwal – Patna Pirates

Deepak Narwal had a big night against U.P. Yoddha in Patna Pirates’ previous match, scoring a Super 10 in his side’s victory. With 17 points in his last two matches, Narwal is quickly emerging as a top raider and Patna Pirates will rely on him as well in offence when they take on Telugu Titans on Friday.

Vishal Bhardwaj – Telugu Titans

With 10 tackle points in just three games, captain Vishal Bhardwaj has been a rock in defence for Telugu Titans. The team will hope that he’ll continue to have an impact on proceedings, like he has throughout the season so far, when Telugu Titans take on Patna Pirates.