Bengaluru meets Awadhe in must-win tie in PBL

However, the Lucknow-based franchise can still sneak into the last-four with a big win over Bengaluru. It won’t be easy, however, as the Raptors is coming off a 5-0 demolition of the Mumbai Rockets. While World No. 2 Tai Tzu Ying has been its talisman and has remained unbeaten so far, it is Sai Praneeth who played a pivotal role in its win.

Showing nerves of steel, the World Championships bronze medallist edged 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Parupalli Kashyap in a tense and thrilling encounter that ended 15-14, 14-15, 15-14 in Sai’s favour. Ahead of its last league game, such a display under pressure is an absolute confidence booster both for the World No. 11 as well as his team.

Brice Leverdez also has been impressive in his last couple of matches while the mixed doubles pair of Chan Peng Soon and Eom Hye Won clicked once again.

As for Awadhe, the Hyderabad leg hasn’t gone the way it would have liked. It is yet to win a match in this city. It succumbed to a narrow 3-4 defeat to Chennai Superstarz and got pummelled 1-4 by the high-flying Pune 7 Aces in its most recent tie.

Losing the Trump cost it dearly and World No. 14 Beiwen Zhang would be trying her best to bounce back and make amends. With Tai Tzu Ying being on the opposite side, the job is easier saidthan done.

The Warriors also need its mixed doubles pair of Christinna Pedersen and Ivan Sozonov and its men’s singles players to step up. Ajay Jayaram did emerge victorious but he also needs support from the likes of Subhankar Dey and Wong Wing Ki Vincent. World No. 24 men’s doubles pair of Ko Sung Hyun and Shin Baek Cheol snapped the winning streak of Pune’s Hendra Setiawan and Chirag Shetty and they would look to bring that same confidence and conviction against the Bengaluru Raptors too.