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This is the story of two teams who looked set to enter the next stage, but suddenly they are caught up in no man’s land. U Mumba is placed 8th while the Pink Panthers are struggling at the 9th position in the points table. Both teams have played 19 games as both look out of steam after a long season. U Mumba lost to the Patna Pirates and then looked desperate to win against the Bengal Warriors. But they ran out of fuel in their very next game against the Haryana Steelers. Similarly, Jaipur Pink Panthers beat the Gujarat Fortune Giants in style but suffered technical snags in their next two games. 

U Mumba has been hovering between the 5th and the 7th position in the points table throughout this season while the Pink Panthers were 3rd after playing 5 games. But both the teams lost direction and consistency as they fought to survive in this virtual knock-out game. They met last year as U Mumba got the better of the Pink Panthers, but a lot has changed for these teams in the last two months. It is the defense of both teams that have lost their hunting capabilities and they look like old lions who are hungry but unable to chase down young prey. The winner of this match will get a lease of life while it will bring down the curtains for the loser. But what if this is a TIE???

TEAMS PREVIEW

U Mumba Preview

Former Champions U Mumba had a rigid approach this season. They decided to rely more on their defense and in hindsight, we can say that it backfired. Playing safe throughout the season cost them valuable points which did not allow them to move up in the points table. They were stuck at the 5th or 6th position and now find themselves in a real DoD position as they take on the Jaipur Pink Panthers.

 U Mumba has just 2 more games after this one and if they are not able to win all their match, they will have to bid adieu to their dreams. They have lost 3 out of their last 5 games. They lost to the Haryana Steelers in their last match and this has got them in a precarious situation. They are heavily dependent on raiders Ajith and Abhishek who have done a fabulous job under the circumstances. Abhishek Singh has earned 167 points in 19 games while Ajith has earned 132 points in 17 games. They earned 17 raid points collectively out of the 26 team points in their last game. It is the defense that has not blossomed for U Mumba. They have neither been able to get replacements nor have they been able to solve the issues in their defense. 

Sultan Fazel Attrachali has underperformed in terms of earnings. He has executed 42 successful tackles in 19 games which have resulted in just 45 tackle points. Left corner Rinku has been effective but others have not been able to forge a combination with him. They beat the Pink Panthers by 9 points when they met last year. Raiders Abhishek and Ajith exploited the weak Jaipur defense and the Mumba guardians too earned well. Hence the only way forward for U-Mumba is if their defenders earn enough to support the earnings from their raiders. This has not been the case for a long time. If U Mumba loses this game, even a miracle may not help them move into the next stage.

Jaipur Pink Panthers Preview

Former champions have displayed glimpses of their past glory mid-season only to lose steam towards the end. The Pink Panthers had moved up to the 3rd place in the points table in the first half of the tournament but now they find themselves fighting for survival and a chance to move into the next stage. They have won 8 out of their 19 games and are placed 9th below U Mumba in the points table. They have all the ingredients to win but they have not been able to cook a tasty dish consistently. Raider Arjun Deshwal has been a revelation as he has emerged as one of the top 3 raiders of the season. He has earned 218 raid points from 187 successful raids. He is also a DoD specialist with 41 DoD raid points.

Defenders Sahul Kumar and Sandeep Dhull have been a bit inconsistent due to which the Pink Panthers could not win matches regularly. Whenever these two prosper, the Pink Panthers have won easily. They have lost 2 consecutive games to Bengaluru Bulls and UP Yodha. They will be up against their traditional rivals U Mumba as both teams will be desperate to win.

Deepak Hooda has been a bit inconsistent off-late and that has hurt the prospects of the Pink Panthers. He has not been able to earn enough raid points to support Arjun Deshwal. Also, the other defenders like Vishal, Deepak Singh, and Amit Nagar have not been able to work as a unit along with Sahul and Sandeep Dhull. Hence everyone on the team needs to resonate to win the remaining games. The Pink Panthers are stuck at a dead end and they will have to scavenge through the rubble in the next few games to find a shortcut to the next stage.

UMUM vs JPP

Winning Prediction

Welcome to an interesting contest between teams desperate to win. It’s a DoD match for both teams. Both teams have struggled in the last few games and find themselves at a crossroads as they fight for survival. U Mumba will be entering a street fight as they blew their chances in some of the initial games. They have not been able to build the momentum that will take them past the finish line. Raiders Abhishek and Ajith will have to do all the hard work as the Mumba defense will have shed its scratchy ways. Jaipur Pink Panthers will expect Arjun Dehwal to reap a healthy harvest along with Deepak Hooda. It will be crucial for the Jaipur defenders to support the efforts of Sahul Kumar and left corner Sandeep Dhull with tackle points. This will be a high-intensity match with lots of rough moves from both sides. Jaipur Pink Panthers look more equipped to unsettle U Mumba but you never know what may be the result of this brawl.

Jaipur Pink Panthers will win.