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| It's now or never for top teams in PKL playoffs race | | | agencies
BENGALURU, Feb 17: Puneri Paltan will be hoping to get closer to a well-deserved playoff spot with a win against Bengal Warriors in their Pro Kabaddi League match here on Friday.
Pune staged a remarkable comeback after a poor start to the season, to be in the reckoning for a playoff spot, but Bengal Warriors will be no pushovers. The 2019 champions' ego was hurt after they dropped out of the playoff race and transformed that energy into a mauling of Tamil Thalaivas in their previous outing.
Pune have destiny in their own hands. A win and a tie should be enough to guarantee them a place in the eliminators. They are a team in form with three wins and a tie in their last four matches.
Coach Anup Kumar's team is driven by youngsters across the mat. In the attack, they have the potent duo of Mohit Goyat and Aslam Inamdar. They have racked up the raid points as the season progressed while corners Sombir and Vishal Bhardwaj have guarded the defence.
Bengal will be buoyed by the return of the in-from Mohammad Nabibakhsh. The dynamic Iranian all-rounder had an unusually poor season but produced a stunning performance against the Thalaivas to remind everyone of his quality.
Pune will need to stop the Nabibakhsh Maninder Singh combination to beat the Warriors. It won't be an easy task, but Pune's youngsters have the ability to play without fear on the mat.
The second match of the night will see Dabang Delhi K.C. lock horns with Telugu Titans. Delhi will need a win to ensure they have a chance to stay in the Top 2 and skip the eliminator round.
Telugu Titans have just one win to their name in the entire season which will have the likes of Delhi's Naveen Kumar and Vijay licking their lips at the possibility of a raid fest. The error-prone Telugu defence should give Delhi ample opportunities to pick up points which should force the team to star youngsters like Neeraj Narwal and Ashu Malik.
The final match of Triple Panga night will see Tamil Thalaivas battle Gujarat Giants. Two-time finalists Gujarat are still in the race for a playoff spot but will need two wins in their remaining two matches. They have lost just one match in the last five which will certainly give coach Manpreet Singh's men the confidence.
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