Patna Pirates vs Bengaluru Bulls, Pro Kabaddi (PKL), Today Match Prediction

patp vs bb Match Prediction & Analysis

This will be a contest between former champions who went through contrasting experiences this season. The Bengaluru Bulls set the mat on fire while the Patna Pirates could not navigate through troubled waters. The Pirates are placed 11th in the points table as they are more or less out of the playoff. They still have one more match to play after they take on the Bulls.

The Bengaluru Bulls have already qualified for the playoff though they have hit a rough patch in their last 5 matches. They have been able to win just 2 out of their last 5 games. They did manage to beat the UP Yodha in a tight contest earlier in the week. They won the match despite none of their raiders could score a Super 10. The Bulls need to use the contest against the Pirates as preparation for tough matches in the playoff.

The Pirates will play for pride as well as to entertain their fans. They will look forward to winning their remaining games which may just help them squeeze past other teams into the playoff. But that would need a miracle for the Pirates.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Patna Pirates Preview

The Patna Pirates have gone awry this season. The Pirates have won just 1 out of their last 5 matches which is a major concern. That win was against the Telegu Titans which was a very close match. The Pirates could have lost the match, but it was a tactical blunder from the Titans which helped the Pirates to escape with a 1-point victory.

The return of left corner Mohammedreza added a lot of spice to the Pirate's defense. Apart from raider Sachin Tanwar, it has been the all-rounder Rohit Gulia who has been working overtime for the Pirates. He has earned 138 raid points in the 18 matches he has played. The major concern of the Pirates is the lack of a second and third raider. They are heavily dependent on Sachin which gets them in trouble once in a while. Raiders Monu and Anuj Kumar have played well but they are still warming-up mode.  

Fortunately, Captain Neeraj Kumar has got back to his lethal hunting while defender Sunil has been consistent. Both defenders along with Mohammedreza have scripted the Pirate's comeback. The Iranian has been involved in 9 Super tackles which are the highest by any player. Raider Sachin Tanwar has earned 65 Do-or-Die raid points which are also the highest for the season. 

The Pirates have executed 298 successful team raids out of their total 858 team raids.

They have been able to conduct just 169 successful team tackles in 20 games.

The former champions have inflicted 24 all-outs in 20 games while conceding 30. This is one of their biggest concerns as their opponents have been able to bundle them out regularly.

But the Pirates can boast of a good record against the Bulls. They forced a TIE in their earlier encounter of the season. Overall the Pirates have won 12 out of their 20 encounters in the PKL. But season 9 scripted a different story for the Pirates. Can they bounce back in their remaining 2 matches and give a pleasant shock to their fans?

Bengaluru Bulls Preview

The Bulls has been one of the most potent as well as an entertaining units. They have worked in unison to achieve unbelievable results. The Bulls have been consistent throughout the season maintaining their position in the top 3. But as the eliminators approach, the Bulls look fatigued and out of ideas. They have been able to win just 2 out of their last 5 matches. They got thrashed by the Puneri Paltan, Bengal Warriors, and the Jaipur Pink Panthers. 

Fortunately, they beat the UP Yodha in their last game to give them some reprieve. The Bengaluru Bulls have depended on the core group consisting of raiders Bharat, Vikash Kandola, and Neeraj Narwal. Their defense works around Saurabh Nandal who has been one of the best defenders of the season. If we look for any common pattern in the last 3 losses for the Bulls, it turns out that they have conceded all-outs at crucial moments. 

They conceded an all-out twice against the Paltan, thrice against the Bengal Warriors, and twice against the Jaipur Pink Panthers. If the Bulls are not able to stop this leakage, they will certainly stumble into the eliminator. They managed to recover in their last match as they beat a strong UP Yodha.

In a tactical move, the Bulls curtailed the earnings of UP raider Pardeep Narwal. Defender Aman scored a Hi 5 while young defender Sudhakar Krishant impressed everyone. The Bulls inflicted a couple of all-outs in the match which helped them seal the deal by 3 points.

Raider Bharat has been one of the best on the circuit with 237 raid points from 189 successful raids. Defender Saurabh has executed 55 successful tackles. Another major concern for the Bulls is that raiders Vikash Kandola and Neeraj Narwal have not been able to earn effectively in the last 5 matches which put a lot of pressure on their main raider Bharat.

As a team, the Bulls have conducted 365 successful team raids out of their total 850 team raids. This includes 15 Super raids.

But they have conceded 742 team points while earning 774.

The Bulls have inflicted 38 all-outs in their 20 matches but at the same time, they have conceded 31 all-outs, 7 of them coming in their last 6 matches. They take on a fatigued Patna Pirates team who have troubled them in the past. The Bulls will look forward to winning this match and preparing themselves for the tough times ahead.