Bengaluru Bulls have had mixed emotions this year in the Pro Kabaddi League as they recorded a victory and a loss in two of their previous matches played in Mumbai. They will now need to be positive going into their third league game in this edition of the lucrative kabaddi league, against the Patna Pirates.
The Bulls recorded a 33-25 win against Bengal Warriors in the opening day of the Pro Kabaddi League this year, and they will be looking bank on that form as they get ready to take on Patna Pirates at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium in Kolkata today.
The Bihar franchisee side, meanwhile, were vanquished against a strong U Mumba side in their first game this year, via a five-point margin. The Pirates looked determined but they succumbed to the more-favoured Mumbai side as the match ended 25-20 in favour of the hosts.
In the second game of the day in Kolkata today, the two sides will be looking to make significant strides in the league table to make a good impact going into the next set of matches. While the Pirates languish at the fifth position with one point -- since their loss was with a margin of seven or less points, they gained a point in the table -- the Bulls will be looking to build on their third spot in the table.
Ajay Thakur is expected to make the biggest impact on the game today, as the Bulls raider took as many as four awards – including the Best Raider of the Match award as well as the Big Impression Player Award - following the end of their opening match against Bengal Warriors last week.
The 29-year-old Himachal lad's resurgence in the second half of the game against the Warriors saw the Bengaluru side snatch a good margin of victory. Ajay's agility and flair was in full display on the day as he he managed to get four Warriors defenders out with a single raid.
Manjit Chhillar also provided strong support in the defence.
For the Pirates, Sandeep Narwal stays the only bright spot in their campaign as of now. Ravi Dalal, though, is expected to deliver for the Patna side against Bengaluru.
The match gets under way at 9pm IST (4:30pm BST).
Previous meeting - 31 August, 2014: Patna Pirates 29 - 22 Bengaluru Bulls
Where to Watch Live:
Pro Kabaddi League: Bengaluru Bulls vs Patna Pirates, can be caught LIVE on Star Sports.
Hindi Coverage - Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD 3, Star Gold
English Coverage - Star Sports 2, Star Sports HD 2
Telugu Coverage - Maa Movies
Kannada Coverage - Suvarna Plus
Marathi Coverage - Star Pravah (Sunday Matches only)
UK viewers can catch the action on Life OK
Live streaming will be available on Hotstar and starsports online
