Matchday 10 of VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 has arrived with a couple of fantastic encounters on the cards and with viewership at an all-time high. With a few injuries seeping early into the season, the teams would like to hold on to their form for the long road ahead. Here’s a look at today’s matches…

Match 18 (Zone A): Gujarat Fortunegiants vs Haryana Steelers

Head-to-head: Only Match Tied

The two new teams lock horns for the second time this season after ending their previous encounter in a tie, the first of Season 5. Even though Gujarat led at half-time, the Steelers came from behind as both teams took home 3 points each.

The Fortunegiants sit third in the Zone A standings after picking 8 points from 2 matches with a win and tie. The team is coming together under Sukesh Hegde’s leadership with Mahendra Rajput and Sachin putting up a good display with him in the raiding department. The defence corners show a look of consistency with Fazel Atrachali and Abozar Mighani holding their own to head the defence, aided by youngsters Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal.

Haryana Steelers had picked up 4 points from 2 matches after a loss and a tie, but the solid defensive partnership between captain Surender Nada and Mohit Chhillar has been their strength. Vikash Khandola has been a revelation for the Steelers alongside the experienced Surjeet Singh, who picked up 13 points between them the last time the team met this season. Wazir Singh looks a bit out of form but with a long season ahead, he has time to get his raiding chops back.

Match 19 (Zone B): Bengaluru Bulls vs Telugu Titans

Head-to-head: Bengaluru Bulls 6:3 Telugu Titans

When the two best raiders in VIVO Pro Kabaddi meet, sparks are sure to fly and fans are sure to flock in multitudes to witness the battle. These two teams have already met each other this season in Hyderabad, where the Bulls blew apart the Titans by registering a 10-point win. Bengaluru will look to take advantage of the Titans’ recent slump of form, as Titans gear up for revenge.

Bengaluru Bulls are second in the Zone B standings with 11 points from 4 encounters. Though they started the season on a high with two consecutive wins, their home leg in Nagpur has not been satisfactory as they lost their last two matches. Rohit Kumar has been in sublime form, picking up a hat-trick of Super 10s in his first 3 games but the youngest squad in the league lacks the much-needed experience. Ajay Kumar has shown signs of brilliance with Ravinder Pahal and Preetam Chhillar being solid pegs at the back. A lot rests on captain Rohit to pull his team out of the slump and instil confidence in them to go for the kill against a team who has not had their best season, yet.

Telugu Titans started the season with a positive win but have not been able to follow it up with another. Having lost 5 consecutive matches of the 6 played, they sit fifth in the Zone B standings and things won’t look good for them if they do not get back to winning ways. The likes of Rakesh Kumar, Rohit Rana and an in-form Vishal Bhardwaj couldn’t stop the Bulls brigade and this time, their game plan needs to change. Raid Machine Rahul Chaudhari has been the leading force in attack beside Nilesh Salunke, but he needs to shorten the time spent out of play to have a greater impact on his team’s performance.

Don’t forget to catch all the live action from VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 on the Star Sports network and hotstar – 8:00 PM onwards.