Puneri Paltan seek to get campaign back on track

After starting their home leg with a loss against Gujarat Fortunegiants, Puneri Paltan take on Jaipur Pink Panthers in Match 24 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune on Friday. Spurred on by the Pune crowd, Puneri Paltan will look to win their first match in their home leg and will also look to take top spot in Zone A.

Coming of a victory against Haryana Steelers, Jaipur Pink Panthers will look to continue their winning momentum. They have a good record against Puneri Paltan and will look to use this to their advantage. Brimming with talent, Jaipur Pink Panthers will look to get back-to-back wins and stamp their credentials for the VIVO Pro Kabaddi title.

Match 24 (Zone A): Puneri Paltan vs Jaipur Pink Panthers

Head-to-head: Puneri Paltan 4-6 Jaipur Pink Panthers. 1 Tie.

Having secured a huge victory against Haryana Steelers in their previous game, Puneri Paltan suffered their second loss of the season against Gujarat Fortunegiants. Lead raider Nitin Tomar has been in outstanding form throughout the season and he continued showing why he is considered amongst the world’s best raiders with a 13-point display. Captain Girish Maruti Ernak helped himself to another High 5, finishing with 6 tackle points. Puneri Paltan will look to get their campaign back on track after the defeat in their opening game at home.

Having lost their opening game in a tough encounter to U Mumba, Jaipur Pink Panthers came back strongly to win 36-33 against Haryana Steelers. Jaipur Pink Panthers will be buoyed by the fact that defender Nitin Rawal is finding form at the right time. He returned with a game-high 3 tackle points against Haryana Steelers. He showed he can raid as well as he managed 8 touch points against the same opposition. Rawal was well supported by all-rounder Deepak Niwas Hooda and skipper Anup Kumar both of whom managed 6 points each.

The big battle

Girish Maruti Ernak vs Anup Kumar

In the battle of the two skippers, each will look to get an upper hand over the other. Having managed 22 tackle points so far this season, Girish Maruti Ernak has been a rock in Puneri Paltan’s defence. Captain Cool Anup Kumar will not make it easy for his counterpart as he looks to become the sixth player in VIVO Pro Kabaddi history to get 500 raid points. The Bonus ka Badshah is two points away from the landmark and as a right raider, will look to attack left corner Ernak many times throughout the game. This battle between two veterans of the game will be crucial in determining the result.

Key Khiladi

Nitin Tomar - Puneri Paltan

Nitin Tomar continued his superb form in the match against Gujarat Fortunegiants as he managed 13 more points to take his season tally to 64 points from 5 games. He is getting better with each passing match and Jaipur Pink Panthers will need to stop him if they are to have any chance of winning the game. Puneri Paltan will hope Tomar can continue his form and get their campaign back on track.

Nitin Rawal - Jaipur Pink Panthers

With 15 raid points in two matches, Nitin Rawal is fast emerging as the top raider for Jaipur Pink Panthers. Despite being a defender, he has impressed everyone with his raiding skills and has done enough for him to be labelled as an all-rounder. Jaipur Pink Panthers will hope for another strong performance from Rawal in both departments as they look for their second win on the trot.