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In the 40th match of the ongoing 2021/22 season of the Pro Kabaddi League, UP Yoddha will test their strength against Dabang Delhi KC. Both teams have some big names who will need to come good enough for their side to win.
While Dabang Delhi are in second position in the current standings and are looking like top contenders for the title, UP need to pull their socks up. They are in ninth position and have won just one of their six matches so far.
As we head into this potentially exciting contest, let’s take a look at three key head-to-head contests that would be most pivotal in deciding the outcome. These contests would form an intriguing sub-plot and add a great deal of spice to this match.
Naveen Kumar (Dabang Delhi) vs Sumit (UP Yoddha)
Dabang Delhi raider Naveen has gone berserk this season with his point scoring. He has been racking up Super-10s for fun and has even scored twice over 20 points in a match. In his last appearance, Naveen scored 25 points.
Stopping him would require a herculean effort and UP’s best bet appears to be defender Sumit. He has been the most successful defender for his team this season and will have to come up with a stupendous effort to stop Naveen's onslaught.
Sumit will have the support of his captain Nitesh Kumar in the defense. This will be crucial as it often requires great teamwork to trap the more clever raiders. If Sumit can pull it off, Yoddha have a chance. Else, it would be very tough to keep Delhi down.
Pardeep Narwal (UP Yoddha) vs Jeeva Kumar (Dabang Delhi)
Pardeep Narwal is among the best raiders on the Pro Kabaddi circuit and remains the biggest threat to UP Yoddha's opponents. His biggest challenge in this upcoming match will come from Jeeva Kumar, the ace defender of Dabang Delhi.
While it can’t be said that Jeeva has been demolishing the raiding parties easily this season, it is a fact that he has been quite effective. Pardeep’s calmness during tough raids makes him a very difficult person to put off. Jeeva will have to be on alert at all times during his raids to make use of even the slightest opportunity offered by him.
Surender Gill (UP Yoddha) vs Joginder Narwal (Dabang Delhi)
Though regarded as an all-rounder, Yoddha’s Surender Gill has been primarily making a mark through his raiding prowess. He will be as dangerous as Pardeep for the Dabang Delhi team based on current form.
To undo his threat, Dabang Delhi skipper Joginder Narwal will have to step up and not only marshal his defense but bring his expertise to the fore. Joginder would know how to keep the vulnerable wings of his team away from the prying hands of Surender and lure him into a trap.
This contest may well be the one that ends up being the biggest deciding factor.
