The Pro Kabaddi League 2015 action shifts to Bengaluru now – the penultimate venue of the competition this year – before the regular league season moves to the playoffs.
The host team, Bengaluru Bulls, will take on second-placed U Mumba in the inaugural game at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, today (12 August).
As many as 14 points separate the two in the table now, and though U Mumba look the better side, Bengaluru Bulls cannot be taken lightly.
The Bulls are currently fourth in the table, just below Jaipur Pink Panthers. Although the Pink Panthers and the Bangalore side are tied at 31 points, the Jaipur side are ahead owing to their better head-to-head record.
Telugu Titans have edged out U Mumba to occupy the top position, even though both the teams have the same points.
U Mumba come into the game against the backdrop of just one loss from their nine games they have played this year. Their latest win was against Bengal Warriors in Delhi, where skipper Anup Kumar and raider Bhupinder Singh's combined effort enabled the Mumbai side to register a comfortable 31-17 win.
The performance of Mohit Chhillar in the defence was praiseworthy and it has to be said that U Mumba won the game on the day without the presence of star raiders Shabeer Bapu and the upcoming Rishank Devadiga.
It's different for Bengaluru Bulls, who had suffered a two-point margin loss against the Patna Pirates in Delhi.
Star raider Ajay Thakur and Captain Manjit Chhillar were influential on the day, even though they narrowly lost out to the Patna side, but the Bulls head coach Randhir Singh believes his side is on its way to the semi-finals this year.
"We have hundred per cent chance of qualifying for the semifinals. Last year also, we qualified for the semis from this venue," Singh told PTI.
With 31 points and five matches in hand, the Bulls need to win atleast three of those matches to secure play-off qualifications.
The match between Bengaluru Bulls and U Mumba gets underway at 8 pm IST (3:30pm BST).
In their earlier match played on 19 July, U Mumba had defeated Bengaluru Bulls 36-23.
Where to Watch Live:
Pro Kabaddi League: Bengaluru Bulls vs U Mumba, 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.com
