Pro Kabaddi 2021-22 | Patna Pirates vs UP Yoddha semifinal 1 preview, when and where to watch and starting 7s
A file image of Patna Pirates.
|(Twitter)
Patna Pirates take on UP Yoddha in semifinal 1 of the PKL season 8 and both teams would love to make it to the finals from here. Catch all the LIVE action on the Star Sports Network and LIVE streaming on Disney+Hotstar; you can also follow the latest updates, scores on SportsCafe blog.
After missing out on a playoff berth in the last two seasons, the Patna Pirates roared their way into the semi-finals in Season 8. They won 16 matches and finished 11 points clear of second-placed Dabang Delhi with a score difference of +120, the largest in PKL history.
Their defence is not only great but it’s historically great. Only two teams have averaged more tackle points in a season than the Pirates have in Season 8 (12.23) – U Mumba in Season 6 (12.57) and Season 2 (12.25). Mohammadreza Chiyaneh has led the Pirates’ defensive unit by example. The rookie has scored nine High 5s this season, joint-most in a PKL campaign alongside Surjeet Singh and Surender Nada. A 10th would go a long way in helping the Pirates inch closer to an unprecedented fourth PKL title.
Standing in their way are the red-hot U.P. Yoddha. They booked their playoff berth with five wins in their last six matches and then beat the Puneri Paltan 42-31 in Eliminator 1 to advance to the semi-finals. Pardeep Narwal was the star of the show against Pune with 18 points, as he led U.P. to their maiden semi-final appearance.
The Record-Breaker will now look to break the hearts of the team with whom he shattered every record during his five-year stint. Patna and Pardeep were synonymous with each other. They won three titles together but decided to part ways after two poor seasons by their lofty standards, and now face each other with a place in the PKL final on the line. A titanic tussle awaits U.P. and Pardeep will be gunning to get one over his former side.
When and where to watch
Catch all the LIVE action from the Pro Kabaddi Season 8 on the Star Sports Network and LIVE streaming on Disney+Hotstar. You can also follow the latest updates and scores on SportsCafe blog.
Starting 7s
UP Yoddha:Â Pardeep Narwal, Ashu Singh, Shubham Kumar, Gurdeep, Surender Gill, Nitesh Kumar, Sumit
Patna Pirates:Â Sachin, Neeraj Kumar, Sajin C, Prashanth Kumar, Guman Singh, Sunil, Mohammadreza Chiyaneh
