Second place on the table up for grabs when Patna Pirates face Bengal Warriors

The New Year Eve’s party will commence early on Friday, as vivo Pro Kabaddi brings two enthralling fixtures in the final few hours of 2021.

Tamil Thalaivas and Puneri Paltan will kick off the evening, and in the second game, Sachin and the Patna Pirates will take on Maninder Singh and the Bengal Warriors in a blockbuster clash.

Check out our preview for both games:

Match 23: Tamil Thalaivas vs Puneri Paltan

The Tamil Thalaivas have had an unconventional start to their campaign. They have lost just one of their three fixtures but are winless this season. They were in good positions to secure the win in two games but leaked points late and had to share the spoils. The Thalaivas have enough quality to beat any team, and they will be aiming to get one in the win column on Friday.

The Puneri Paltan have lost two of their opening three fixtures and currently sit at the bottom of the table with five points. The team is struggling to find the proper personnel. Coach Anup Kumar has experimented with multiple combinations in every game but has yet to find the right balance. The Paltan have a plethora of talented young raiders to go with an experienced defence, and once they find the right personnel, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Tamil Thalaivas vs Puneri Paltan head-to-head

The Tamil Thalaivas and Puneri Paltan have met four times in vivo PKL. They have both won a game each, with the other two finishing in ties.

Match 24: Patna Pirates vs Bengal Warriors

The Patna Pirates have been thoroughly impressive so far this season. They have won two of their first three fixtures, losing one by the slimmest margin. Their raiding trio of Sachin, Prashanth Kumar Rai and Monu Goyat have been spectacular, providing the Pirates with the impetus they need on offence to win games. The Pirates are brimming with confidence and will want to make it three wins in four on Friday and ascend to second on the points table.

After opening their campaign with two impressive wins, the defending champions, Bengal Warriors, have succumbed to successive defeats in their last two games. The usually defensively sturdy Warriors gave up 52 points to Dabang Delhi K.C. in their previous outing and lost by 17, despite skipper Maninder Singh scoring 16 points. Coach BC Ramesh will want to put that loss in the rear-view mirror as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that would be by beating the Pirates on Friday.

Patna Pirates vs Bengal Warriors head-to-head

The Patna Pirates and Bengal Warriors have battled 17 times in vivo PKL. Patna holds a 10-4 lead in their all-time head-to-head matches. Three games have finished in a tie.

Vivo Pro Kabaddi Schedule for Friday, December 31

Match 23: Tamil Thalaivas vs Puneri Paltan, 7:30 PM IST

Match 24: Patna Pirates vs Bengal Warriors, 8:30 PM IST

Where to watch vivo Pro Kabaddi live?

Catch all the LIVE action from vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 8 on the Star Sports Network and LIVE streaming on Disney+Hotstar.

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