Tamil Thalaivas vs U.P. Yoddha, Pro Kabaddi (PKL), Today Match Prediction

tamt vs upy Match Prediction & Analysis

Welcome to an exciting contest as the Tamil Thalaiva takes on the in-form UP Yodha. Though the Yodha lost their last match to the Bengaluru Bulls, they are still a formidable unit. But the Yodha is dearly missing “Man of Steel” Surender Gill who has been out of action due to injury. He was the trusted partner of Pardeep Narwal.

The Thalaiva is placed 5th in the points table and needs to win this match to bolster their chances for the playoff. Their stand-in Captain Ajinkya Pawar is enjoying his stint as he looted 20 points in the last match against the Telegu Titans. Raider Narender looks in great touch too. Unfortunately for the Thalaiva, defender Sagar is not available due to injury concerns and that is the biggest blow to them. Sagar has been one of the best defenders on the circuit and this is a double blow for Tamil Thalaiva after the injury to Pawan Sehrawat.

But this will be an interesting encounter as both teams will be aggressive. Expect a lot of multi-point raids as well as unforced errors from both sides.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Tamil Thalaivas Preview

The Tamil Thalaiva has been a story from rags to riches. They have overcome all odds to give themselves a chance to qualify for the playoff. But they still have some work left as they face the mighty UP Yodha. The Thalaiva has one more match after this one in which they face the Haryana Steelers. The Thalaiva was lingering in the bottom half of the points table in the first half of the season. But they repaired all the damage and bounced back in style. They have won 9 out of their 20 matches while they have forced a TIE in 4 games. The Thalaiva is known as a TIE specialist and they have maintained that reputation this season too.

They have lost just 1 out of their last 5 matches. They lost to the Jaipur Pink Panthers last month but since then they have not looked back. The Thalaiva defeated the Gujarat Fortune Giants in a tough game followed by a sensational TIE with Dabang Delhi. This was one of the best performances by the Thalaiva as they matched every move of Dabang. Dabang Delhi would have moved above the Thalaiva in the points table had they won the game. 

In their next match, the Thalaiva beat arch-rivals in that famous southern derby to maintain their 5th position in the points table. But they will be up against the UP Yodha who have already qualified for the playoff. Placed 5th, the Tamil Thalaiva is in competition with 3 other teams for the remaining 2 slots for the playoff. 

Unfortunately for the Thalaiva, stand-in captain Sagar is not fully fit, hence Ajinkya Pawar will lead the side. This is the second biggest blow to the Thalaiva after Pawan Sehrawat. But Ajinkya seems to be enjoying his captaincy tenure as he hammered 20 raid points against the Telegu Titans. Raider Narender also scored a Super 10. Defenders Sahil Gulia, Mohit, and Abhishek have managed to hunt effectively. 

The Tamil Thalaiva has conducted 199 successful team tackles in their 20 matches. This has earned them 221 team tackle points. 

They have also executed 22 Super tackles, defender Sagar was involved in most of them. 

The Thalaiva has also scored 87 Do-or-Die raid points which have helped them significantly in the second half of matches in which they could win or at least force a TIE.

The UP Yodha had thrashed the Thalaiva earlier in the season and this will be a pay-back time for Tamil Thalaiva. If they can beat the Yodha in this match, the road to the playoff will be much smoother for the Thalaiva.

U.P. Yoddha Preview

The UP Yodha has already qualified for the playoff but they will look forward to winning their remaining matches so that they can move into the top 2 positions of the points table. This will help them gain entry to the semi-finals directly. Currently placed 4th, they will have to go through the eliminators in order to reach the semi-finals. 

The Yodha was on a winning spree, but they lost the plot to the Bengaluru Bulls in their last match. They were tricked into submission by the Bull's defense. The Yodha will look forward to reversing this trend against the Tamil Thalaiva.

Pardeep Narwal has been their hero in the absence of raider Surender Gill who is badly missed by the Yodha.  Pardeep “The Dubki King” has scored 10 Super 10’s and 8 Super raids. He has started executing multi-raid points which have made life easy for Yodha. 

The main issue with the Yodha is a drop in momentum. They have not been able to build the intensity over the last few weeks. Also, the Yodha has been a bit unimaginative in some games. They should have been street-smart but unknowingly they let the game slip away. UP Yodha needs to overcome these issues at the earliest.

The UP Yodha has conducted 341 successful team raids in 20 matches. 

Unfortunately, they have a low success rate in team tackles as they have been able to execute just 178 successful team tackles in the season.

Another area of concern for the Yodha is the number of all-outs conceded. Though they have inflicted 33 all-outs, they have conceded 25. They have improved a lot in this area as they used to concede all-outs at crucial moments of the match.

Though they may have qualified for the next round, the Yodha will be placed comfortably only if they win their remaining matches. The take on the Thalaiva whom they defeated earlier in the season. But it will be a tricky affair as the UP Yodha does not have any replacement for raider Surender Gill.