Patna Pirates will be looking to continuing their good form at the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 as they get ready to take on Puneri Paltan in their third home game at the Patliputra Sports Complex this year.
The Pirates should be brimming with confidence after they put an exceptional display in their match yesterday and hammered Dabang Delhi by 17 points.
A 39-22 result is by no means a mean feat, but Pirates' key man Deepak Narwal made it look so easy yesterday. With 10 points in their kitty after the match, the Pirates got the perfect opportunity to stamp their dominance in the league this year.
They needed a win and they achieved that feat with a huge margin, and moved to the fifth position.
The absence of regular skipper Rakesh Kumar did not affect the side as youngsters Sandeep, left corner man Sunil Kumar, and Suresh Kumar all stepped up their performances in the game.
Ravi Dalal also played a key role and contributed to his side's big win yesterday.
Puneri Paltan, meanwhile, play their first game at Patna this year. They are currently the rockbottom side, with just a win and four losses. Their recent win however against the Bengal Warriors at Jaipur is set to give them some confidence ahead of the game.
It was all Pravin Niwale for the Pune side as they beat a hapless Kolkata side 33-29 on Wednesday. Key raider Wazir Singh also supported Nirwale efficiently, and defender Ravi Kumar also played his part.
The outcome of the game today is hard to predict but it seems that backing of the home fans and experience can help the Pirates eke out the win over the Paltan.
Meanwhile, the organisers of the lucrative kabaddi league have announced that the viewership of the event has increased manifold this year as compared to last year.
"We have seen more than 15 times increase in online viewership already with 10.1 million viewers in the first week vs last season where the entire tournament amassed 0.7 million viewers," a media release from the organisers stated.
"We are overwhelmed and delighted to see the Indian fan's rediscovery and passionate following of the uber-cool, Indian sport of Kabaddi," said Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India.
"Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has grown from strength to strength and while season 1 was about re-discovering the game, season 2 has seen a deepening of engagement and appreciation for the sport and its heroes," he added.
The match gets underway at 9 pm IST (4:30pm BST).
Previous meeting - 15 August, 2014: Puneri Paltan 31 - 37 Patna Pirates
Where to Watch Live:
Pro Kabaddi League: Patna Pirates vs Puneri Paltan, 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
