Pro Kabaddi League: Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Puneri Paltan Final: head-to-head, prediction
After 132 thrilling matches in the league phase, two exciting elimination matches and semifinal matches, it all boils down to the Kabaddi Season nine final between Jaipur Pink Panthers and Puneri Paltan on Saturday at the Dome, NSCI SVP Stadium in Mumbai.
Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Puneri Paltan semifinalsJaipur Pink Panthers are in a PKL final for the third time and are aiming for their second title after winning the first edition.
The Panthers lead the league table and have already met Puneri Paltan twice this season, winning once and losing the other time.
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The Panthers are in great form and will be confident of beating Puneri Paltan in the final, with their star Arjun Deshwal (290 Raid Points) leading the way. V Ajith Kumar (94 Raid Points), who made a significant impact in the Panthers' semifinal win over Bengaluru Bulls, will also play a role alongside Rahul Chaudhari (71 Raid Points).
Defensively, Ankush has been the best defender this season, with 86 tackle points. He gets excellent support from Sunil Kumar (59 tackle points), and Sahul Kumar (53 tackle points).
Puneri Paltan, on the other hand, are in a PKL final for the first time after finishing second in the league and defeating Tamil Thalaivas in the semifinals.
One of the more consistent teams this season, Puneri Paltan have received contributions from most of their team's players despite a slow start.
In the absence of Aslam Inamdar (138 raid points) and Mohit Goyat (120 raid points), Akash Shinde (135 raid points) and Pankaj Mohite (51 raid points) have substantially improved through the campaign and were instrumental in the semifinal triumph.
In defence, captain Fazel Atrachali led by example with 53 tackle points, while Sombir contributed 35 tackle points. Sanket Sawant and Abinesh Nadarajan scored 30 tackle points each, while Gaurav Khatri scored 18 tackle points. Another player who will play a role in both defence and offence is all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh.
Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Puneri Paltan head-to-head
Jaipur Pink Panthers and Puneri Paltan met 20 times, with Jaipur Pink Panthers winning ten times and Puneri Paltan winning eight matches. Two matches ended in a draw.
Top three raiders for Jaipur Pink Panthers
1. Arjun Deshwal (290 raid points)
2. V Ajith Kumar (94 raid points)
3. Rahul Chaudhari (71 raid points)
Top three Defenders for Jaipur Pink Panthers
1. Ankush (86 tackle points )
2. Sunil Kumar (59 tackle points)
3. Sahul Kumar (53 tackle points)
Top three Raiders for Puneri Paltan
1. Akash Shinde (135 raid points)
2. Pankaj Mohite (51 raid points)
3. Mohit Goyat (120 raid points)
Top three defenders for Puneri Paltan
1. Fazel Atrachali (53 tackle points)
2. Sombir (35 tackle points)
3. Sanket Sawant (30 tackle points)
Jaipur Pink Panthers' probable playing seven
Arjun Deshwal, Reza Mirbagheri, Rahul Chaudhari, Sunil Kumar, Ankush, Sahul Kumar, and V Ajith Kumar.
Puneri Paltan's probable playing seven
Akash Shinde, Pankaj Mohite, Mohammad Nabibakhsh, Gaurav Khatri, Fazel Atrachali, Sanket Sawant, and Abinesh Nadarajan.
Match Prediction: Puneri Paltan are in the final of PKL for the first time, and they will beat Jaipur Pink Panthers and win the title
Where to watch the match: Watch all the LIVE action of the Pro Kabaddi Season nine on Star Sports Network and LIVE streaming on Disney+Hotstar.