Rajasthan Patriots take on Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh in match 12 of the inaugural season of the Premier Handball League (PHL) at the Sawai Man Singh Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday evening, aiming for a second straight victory and third overall.
On Sunday evening, the Patriots notched up their second win of the tournament, defeating Garvit Gujarat 29-27 in a tight contest.
Rajasthan Patriots, the Krida Pvt. Ltd. owned franchisee, are placed third in the league with four points, while Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh are still in search of their first win and are currently placed at the bottom of the points table.
The victory over Garvit Gujarat was primarily powered by a stellar performance from right-back Sahil Malik, who was awarded the Man of the Match title. He was ably supported by teammate Dmitrii Kireev as both of them scored six goals each.
Guarding the nets for the Patriots, captain Atul Kumar’s crucial saves and Hardev Singh’s goal in the dying moments of the match, ensured that the Patriots walked away with two points from the game.
Naya Chandra Singh, head coach, Rajasthan Patriots said ahead of the clash with Uttar Pradesh, “Winning the match against Gujarat was important for us as we had faced defeat against Delhi a day before. I am happy that my boys bounced back with a thrilling win.
“Every match is crucial for us and our aim is to create a winning streak from here and play like true patriots. We cannot predict what’s going to happen in the game, given the sport of Handball is fast and action-packed, but we intend to give our best on the court, irrespective of the opponents we face,” he was quoted as saying in a release on Monday.
The Patriots will surely go into the game against Golden Eagle Uttar Pradesh high on confidence. Their opponents, however, will have to cope, not only with the huge pressure of registering a first-ever PHL win but also with the Patriots’ all-round strength in both attack and defence.
The Golden Eagles do have an ace up their sleeves in right-back Sukhveer Singh Brar though. He has been scoring freely and has been his side’s top scorer with as many as 22 goals in two matches and the Patriots’ defence will have to be at their best to stop him.
Playing centre-back, Vikas Kumar of the Golden Eagles could also be a possible threat that the Patriots will have to be wary of.
However, given the penalty-scoring form of Russian Kireev and the overall attacking form of players like Sahil and Mohit Ghangas, Patriots go into the game as clear favourites.
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