U.P. Yoddha fight Tamil Thalaivas in a bid to regain winning momentum

U.P. Yoddha next face Tamil Thalaivas in the Jaipur leg of vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 on Saturday, with an eye on getting back to winning ways. The team was on a five-match winning streak which was ended by U Mumba in Pune and will want to put that defeat behind quickly to continue their rise in the Season 7 standings. Tamil Thalaivas claimed a tie in their previous match after a run of losses and will be looking to build on that momentum to secure the fourth win of their campaign.

Match 101: U.P. Yoddha vs. Tamil Thalaivas

Head-to-head: U.P. Yoddha 2 – 2 Tamil Thalaivas. 3 Ties.

U.P. Yoddha

Played: 16

Won: 8

Tied: 2

Lost: 6

Win Rate: 50.00%

Best Raider: Shrikant Jadhav

Best Defender: Sumit

U.P. Yoddha made their way into the Top 6 on the back of a five-match winning streak. But their run was halted by U Mumba in their previous match, which took some of the wind out of their sails. Rishank Devadiga stepped up as the team’s top-scoring raider in that match with nine raid points and he was well-supported by the team’s leading raider this season, Shrikant Jadhav. The duo has been forming a good partnership and will want to continue their good work to test Tamil Thalaivas’ defence. Skipper Nitesh Kumar, who had been performing well in the team’s recent matches, ended the match without a single tackle point to his name. He and Sumit will have to be at their best if they are to keep ‘Showman’ Rahul Chaudhari and V Ajith Kumar from taking the game away from their team.

Tamil Thalaivas

Played: 17

Won: 3

Tied: 3

Lost: 11

Win Rate: 17.64%

Best Raider: Rahul Chaudhari

Best Defender: Manjeet Chhillar

Tamil Thalaivas’ raiders were instrumental in the team’s 36-36 tie against Puneri Paltan in their previous game as they managed to score at crucial junctures to keep the match from going too far out of the team’s grasp. V Ajith Kumar was exceptional on the night as he scored half the team’s points single-handedly and continued his impressive season. The team’s leading raider, ‘Showman’ Rahu Chaudhari, could manage only three raid points in 11 raids after being tackled five times. The raider will be keen to put this result behind him and return to his best.  The team’s most experienced defenders - Mohit Chhillar, Manjeet Chhillar and Ran Singh – accounted for only one point between them and will have to perform much better if they are to keep U.P. Yoddha from getting back to winning ways.