Tamil Thalaivas
The Tamil Thalaivas gave up 10 points before getting their first point on the board and that poor start was always going to be difficult to recover from. Some really poor performances by Ajay Thakur, Rahul Chaudhari, and Manjeet Chillar meant that the Tamil Thalaivas never showed up for the contest.
We are not sure why these players who have been in good form would suddenly all collectively lose form but that can happen sometimes in Kabaddi.
All of these players need to recognize that they are going to be playing against the weakest side of PKL 2019 in this match and need to get a win under their belt. We are hopeful of seeing an improved performance from the Tamil Thalaivas.
A notable mention must be made of Shabeer Bappu who put up a lone fight and managed to get some important raid points. Perhaps a larger role for him going forward could e something for the Tamil Thalaivas to try.
Puneri Paltan
The return of Nitin Tomar to the Puneri Paltan side has not been as emphatic as one would have hoped. He seems to be a bit tentative and worried about his recurring injury. If he continues to play within himself then he is going to be an easy target for the opposing defenders.
Puneri Paltan needs him to be at his best otherwise this season ould get a lot worse for them.
The hope for Puneri Paltan has to be in its defense. Girish Maruti Ernak and Surjeet Singh are capable of holding down the Tamil Thalaiva raiders like what the Bengaluru Bulls did. The pair of them are experienced enough to spot any weaknesses that the raiders have and exploit them for their own good.
What about the raiders then?
Puneri Paltan has no choice but to stick with Nitin Tomar as its lead raider. Pankaj Mohite has shown a lot of promise and Majeet has sparked some interest as well but we don’t think they are ready to take up the mantle of being the lead raiders just yet.
Defending can keep you in the game but it is the attacking prowess that will win you kabaddi matches. Unfortunately for Puneri Paltan that balance seems to have gone haywire for them.
Puneri Paltan has conceded the second most all-outs in the league but also has the second-highest average tackle points per game. Interestingly, they are joined on that second place by the Tamil Thalaivas.
The Tamil Thalaivas are a far superior team to PUneri Paltan and should really be able to win this match. The home-town curse is perhaps the only reason we can find to back Puneri Paltan in this match!
Bet on Tamil Thalaivas to win.