Patna Pirates will be looking to forget their start in the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 at home turf as they look ahead to their second game at the Patliputra Sports Complex against Dabang Delhi.
The Pirates were completely overwhelmed by a stronger Telugu Titans side on the day as the Southern Indian outfit, led by a superb performance from Sukesh Hegde, beat the hosts 34-22.
The Patna side are at the rock bottom at the moment with three losses and just one win, and a favourable result against Delhi on Friday can take them to the fifth position.
Rakesh and Sandeep Narwal remain the two players who can do the trick for the home side in the match as the duo were impressive in their side's 23-29 win over champions Jaipur Pink Panthers earlier in the league this year.
And the owner and skipper of the Patna side are keen on overturning Thursday's bitter loss.
"This was the opening game of our home leg. We will not lose confidence after this loss to Telugu Titans," said owner Rajesh V Shah on his team's loss.
Veteran Rakesh Kumar, the skipper of the side, explained that they need the proper backing of the fans to go ahead in the competition this year.
"We were poor in both departments of offence and defence tonight but we fought till the last minute. We should learn from this loss because we have 10 matches left to make a comeback and this is not the end. Ravi Dalal and I have had a tough start to the tournament but this is just the beginning and the team will come back strongly.
"I am working hard every day and so is my team. We need the support and faith of our Patna fans to move on and get better results. Currently, we are in talks with the Kabaddi Federation in Bihar to carry out actions that will uplift the sport of kabaddi in the state," Rakesh added.
The Delhi side will remain on the fourth spot following the match, even if they win. With three wins and two losses so far, they seem to be the favourites in the game.
And, more so after their 8-point win over the Pink Panthers in the last game.
Rohit Kumar Chaudhary and Ravinder Singh Pahal were brilliant on the day, along with Kashiling Adake. And the trio need to show their flair once again as they go for the victory on 31 July.
The match gets underway at 9 pm IST (4:30pm BST).
Previous meeting - 9 August, 2014: Patna Pirates 30 - 30 Dabang Delhi
Where to Watch Live:
Pro Kabaddi League: Patna Pirates vs Dabang Delhi, 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 Starsports online and Hotstar
