As expected UP Yoddhas was off to a good start as they beat the Jaipur Pink Panthers in their first game of the season, but life has been tough for the Yoddhas. After 8 games it finds itself at the 8th spot in the points table. They haven’t done badly but their hard work has not converted into results. UP Yoddhas has missed the knockout punch in a few games which they should have won. Earlier in the week, they lost the Patna Pirates in a hard-fought game. They did compensate for this loss by beating the Telugu Titans in their next game. But it will be a tough ask for the Yoddhas as they take on the inform Puneri Paltan.

The Puneri is living its dream as it has found the mantra for success, TEAMWORK. They have not lost any of their last 5 games and this displays their consistency. The Paltan works on momentum and with their newfound intensity, they will be hard to beat. They were forced to settle for a TIE against a resurgent Haryana Steelers but that was a good call for them. Sharing points was a better option than losing the game. The Paltan then went on to beat the defending champions. This was a convincing victory that helped the Paltan take on the Yoddhas with a lot of self-belief.

Both teams are loaded with good raiders and lethal defenders. This will be another entertaining contest of season 9.

TEAMS PREVIEW

UP Yoddhas Preview

UP Yoddhas is placed 8th in the points table but this does not showcase the kind of hard work the team has put in. They haven’t played badly but it is also true that the Yoddhas has not been able to convert its efforts into results. Hence they have been a bit inconsistent throughout this season. They had a tough game against the Patna Pirates which they lost by a margin of just 5 points. The major concern was that the Yoddhas could score just 3 tackle points in the second half and they got all-out twice in the second half which took the match away from them.

This drop in intensity has hurt the Yoddhas which has played its heart out. “Dubki King” Pardeep Narwal has reinvented himself this season and he is scoring at will. Raiders Surender Gill and Rohit Tomar have contributed handsomely in most games. The Yoddhas has one of the best defenders of the season, Sumit. He has executed 29 successful tackles which have resulted in him scoring 2 Hi 5’s.

Captain Nitesh too has started delivering while right cover Ashu Singh has been consistent. The Yoddhas is missing a good right corner. They have tried to fill this spot with all-rounder Gurdeep and Niting Panwar but it has not yielded results. They need to introduce “Hulk” Abozar Meghani in that right corner to bring in the X factor. UP Yoddhas has lost a few games due to unforced errors or a drop in intensity at crucial moments, especially in the second half. They have to repair the damage and plug the leaks urgently.

The Yoddhas has a good record against the Puneri Paltan as they have beaten them 5 out of 8 times they have met. The Yoddhas also beat the Paltan in the 1st eliminator of season 8. But times have changed and so have things for both teams. While the Yoddhas is struggling, the Paltan is enjoying a dream run. It will be a tough ask for the Yoddhas to beat the Paltan this time.

Puneri Paltan Preview

Puneri Paltan has turned out to be one of the strongest teams of the season. They have won 4 out of their last 5 games and are placed 2nd in the points table behind the Bengaluru Bulls. The return of Fazel Attrachali has helped them convert themselves into a dominating unit.

Young raiders Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat have escaped from the most dangerous clutches of opposite teams. They have done this consistently as both have scored 6 Super 10s in 8 games. Though Aslam Inamdar was rested for the last game against Dabang Delhi, it was raider Akash Shinde who seized the opportunity and scored 13 raid points apart from 13 earned by Mohit Goyat. In a high-scoring game, the Puneri defense kept their cool and did not allow Naveen Express and other Dabang raiders to earn too many raid points. The turning point in the match was when the Puneri defense got Dabang all-out twice in the first half and once again in the second half. That was the difference between the teams and of course in the result as the Paltan executed its plans precisely.

UPY vs PUNP

Winning Prediction

Welcome to another exciting contest at the PKL as two young sides clash. The Puneri Paltan is overflowing with confidence while the UP Yoddhas is struggling to convert their hard work into results.

The defense of UP Yoddhas will be under tremendous pressure in this game. Left corner Sumit will need some support from Captain Nitesh as well as the right cover. Yoddhas may introduce Iranian Abozar Meghani in this match. Yoddhas needs to win this game desperately. Hence Surender Gill will turn this around by sharing the scoring burden along with Pardeep Narwal.

The Puneri Paltan will unleash their trio of raiders on the Yoddhas. Aslam, Mohit, and Akash will dominate the UP defense. Fazel Attrachali and Sombir will be the pillars of the Puneri defense. Defenders Sanket Sawant and Nabibaksh will overpower either Pardeep or Surrender in this match.

This will be a difficult match for Yoddhas.

Puneri Paltan will win.