Bengaluru Bulls go up against Bengal Warriors in the Pro Kabaddi League at the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
The action has now shifted from Jaipur to Bangalore. The Bulls go into the match needing a win desperately to ensure that they stand a chance to qualify for the playoffs. At present they are in fifth place behind both Telugu Titans and Patna Pirates, in third and fourth place respectively. The Bulls, however, have three games in hand.
The Bengal Warriors would need nothing short of a miracle to qualify for the playoffs. In their last game they played well against the fancied Telugu Titans as the game ended in a tie. Despite the tie they are second last in seventh place. The fact that the Warriors have just won four games and lost eight out of thirteen has left them in this position.
The Warriors would be disappointed that in their last game against the Telugu Titans they could not go on to pick up a victory. The Warriors conceded no less than 10 points with only three minutes remaining on the clock as they threw a must-win game away.
In most of the matches their defence has been the problem and it continued to be so against the Titans. On more than one occasion they held the lead against the Titans only to fritter it away. When they take on the Bulls, the defense can ill-afford to be leaky. The dangerous Ajay Thakur can make them pay dearly.
The positive for the Warriors is that in the last few games they have shown they can surprise higher-ranked teams as they beat the Patna Pirates in an earlier game and drew against the Telugu Titans. The Bulls should be wary of this fact, although they head into this game as clear favourites.
The Bulls, playing at home for the first time, would not be lacking in support. They would be hoping to use this home support to their advantage. The boys from Bangalore, however, would be a tad worried as they do not have a win in their last three games with two of them being losses.
The Bulls would be disappointed that despite holding a lead in their last game against the top-of-the-table Jaipur Pink Panthers they could not go on and win. The fact that they appeared frustrated at times which resulted in skipper Manjit Chillar being sent off after an argument with the referee would be disconcerting for them.
The positive for them is that they have a good chance to put some pressure on both the Telugu Titans and the Patna Pirates if they win against Bengal Warriors. On paper, they are the better side and they will hope to make that tell on the night as well.
Where to Watch Live:
Bengaluru Bulls play Bengal Warriors at 8-00pm. Star Sports will air the match. Live coverage will comence on Star Sports HD 2. This is the link for the live streaming option on starsports.com.
