Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Haryana Steelers, Pro Kabaddi (PKL), Today Match Prediction

jpp vs hs Match Prediction & Analysis

The Haryana Steelers enter this match with victory as their only option. They are placed in a very delicate position on the points table. They can still make it to the playoff but the Steelers have at least 3 other teams fighting for the same slot. The Steelers looked exciting at the beginning of the season. But their effervescence reduced mid-season as they started struggling to win matches.

The Jaipur Pink Panthers are comfortably placed at the top of the points table. As they have already qualified for the next round, they could take the liberty of giving their reserves a chance to play.  Arjun Deshwal looted 22 points in the last match against the Bengal Warriors and he looks unstoppable. Jaipur beat the Steelers quite comfortably earlier in the season. 

The Steelers will have to bring their “A” game in this match. If they can create an upset, they will have another game after this to seal their spot in the next round.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Jaipur Pink Panthers Preview

Winners of the inaugural season of the PKL have been waiting for this season when everything has fallen into place. They are on top of the points table after playing 20 matches. As they enter the mat one last time in the league stage, the Pink Panthers will aim for glory.

After a long-time, the Pink Panthers have got a great balance on their side. They have the best raider in town Arjun Deshwal along with Rahul Chaudhary and Ajith. The Pin Panthers have the best defender on the circuit Ankush along with Captain Sunil Kumar and right corner Sahul Kumar.

Jaipur Pink Panthers have won their last 4 matches. This has allowed them to qualify for the next round as they get ready for their last couple of league games. They beat the Bengal Warriors earlier in the week which saw Arjun Deshwal earn 22 points along with raider Ajith who scored 12 raid points. Left corner Ankush and Captain Sunil Kumar both scored a Hi 5.

Fortunately for the Pink Panthers, star of yesteryears Rahul Chaudhary has been consistent as he completed 1000 raid points in his PKL career. He is just the 3rd raider to achieve this milestone. Raider Arjun Deshwal with 264 raid points this season has been their star raider. V Ajith has also contributed significantly thus making the Pink Panthers a multi-dimensional raiding team. 

Captain Sunil Kumar has induced a lot of confidence in the defense as he leads the list of top defenders this season. He has executed 53 successful tackles in 20 games. Pocket dynamo left corner Ankush has shared the responsibilities equally with 72 successful tackles. This makes the Pink Panthers a very dangerous team.

The Pink Panthers also have the services of raider Bhavani Rajput as well as Devank. Jaipur had defeated the Haryana Steelers earlier in the season. But currently, the Steelers will be hungry to win as they need to necessary points to stake their claim for the playoff. The Pink Panthers have to be careful as the Steelers may attack and stun them in this match.

But overall the Pink Panthers look quite strong to absorb any undue pressure. But every match is a different ballgame and the Pink Panthers will be aware of this.

Haryana Steelers Preview

The Haryana Steelers have been underachievers this season. Without big stars, the Haryana Steelers have displayed grit and teamwork in most of their games. After a scratchy start to the season, the Steelers have resonated in most of their games. But as the season moved towards its business end, the Steelers once again lost their steam and have struggled since then. They are placed 7th in the points table and need to win all their remaining matches to stay alive for the playoff.

Defender Jaideep Dahiya has been the architect of this impregnable defense. He has been supported nicely by the right cover Mohit Nandal. Jaideep has executed 48 successful tackles in 19 games while Mohit has contributed with 37 successful tackles. 

The introduction of Iranian defender Amirhossoin Bastami has bolstered the Steeler's defense as he earned 5 tackle points in that crucial game against the Bulls. This dynamic combination of defenders has resulted in the Haryana Steelers executing 14 Super tackles which have helped them save themselves from all-outs on many occasions.

But the Steelers have broken down at crucial moments in many games. Hence they have lost important encounters even after some good raiding and strong defense. 

The Steelers have inflicted 19 all-outs in 19 matches while conceding 25. This has neutralized all the good work done by them. They managed to beat the Bengal Warriors in their last game, even though none of their raiders could score a Super 10. The introduction of defender Monu Hooda worked for them as he scored a Hi 5 along with left cover Jaideep Dahiya who scored 6 tackle points. 

The Steelers need to win against the Jaipur Pink Panthers to keep their hopes alive. This will be a mammoth task as the Steelers do not enjoy a great record against the Pink Panthers. Haryana has been able to win just 3 out of their 11 encounters. But desperation can help them score an upset.