U.P. Yoddha host Bengaluru Bulls in final league stage game of the season

After a loss in their last match, U.P. Yoddha will be hoping to end their home leg in vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 with a win over Bengaluru Bulls at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida on Friday. The hosts have already beaten Bengaluru Bulls once this season and will be looking for a similar result in what will be the last league stage game on the campaign. The defending champions will also be looking to secure maximum points from the contest and leapfrog U.P. Yoddha in the standings.

Match 132: U.P. Yoddha vs Bengaluru Bulls

Head-to-head: U.P. Yoddha 2 – 5 Bengaluru Bulls

U.P. Yoddha

Form guide:

Played: 21

Won: 12

Tied: 2

Lost: 7

Win rate: 57.14%

Best Raider: Shrikant Jadhav

Best Defender: Sumit

The home side will be keen to put a smile on their fans’ faces with a victory that will give them some momentum to take into the playoffs. They can also take confidence from the fact that they have already beaten the reigning champions once this year. The trio of Shrikant Jadhav, Monu Goyat and Rishank Devadiga when in full flight can strike fear into the heart of any defence. However, it remains to be seen if they can produce their best against a Bengaluru Bulls defence that’s capable of making life difficult for opposition raiders on their day. As far as U.P. Yoddha’s defence is concerned, skipper Nitesh Kumar and young Sumit have looked impressive all season and will be their most potent weapons.  

Bengaluru Bulls

Form guide:

Played: 21

Won: 11

Tied: 1

Lost: 9

Win rate: 52.38%

Best Raider: Pawan Sehrawat

Best Defender: Mahender Singh

The defending champions, on the other hand, know that a win against U.P. Yoddha will see them go level on points with the hosts and leapfrog them in the standings thanks to a better score difference. Unsurprisingly, ‘Hi-Flyer’ Pawan Sehrawat holds the key for his team and U.P. Yoddha must ensure he doesn’t get going if they are harbouring any hopes of a win. Sumit Singh has done a decent job of filling in as the backup raiders in Rohit Kumar’s absence and he will once again have a role to play on Friday. Coach Randhir Singh will also be hoping his defence has a good game. He will want the likes of Amit Sheoran, Saurabh Nandal and Mahender Singh to go into the playoffs in a confident frame of mind.