Panchkula (Haryana) [India], February 16 : The business end of the Pro Kabaddi League is just ten days away as five teams have already booked their places in the Playoffs. The Haryana Steelers, who need just one win to confirm the last Playoffs spot, will be looking to join Puneri Paltan, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Dabang Delhi KC, Patna Pirates and Gujarat Giants in the Playoffs stage as they prepare to start their home leg in Panchkula on Friday.
When asked about playing in front of the kabaddi-crazy fans in Hyderabad, Jaipur Pink Panthers' Captain Sunil Kumar said, "The fans in Hyderabad support us a lot. Rahul Chaudhari, who is the poster boy of the Pro Kabaddi League, has the most fan-following in Hyderabad. I think most of the fans will support us during the Playoffs. We are excited to play the Playoffs in Hyderabad."
With a week's break for their playoff clash after their final group game against the Bengaluru Bulls in the Panchkula leg, the Dabang Delhi K.C. skipper Ashu Malik said, "We will work hard during the week-long break that we have before our playoff match. The coach surely has a training routine in mind for us and we will work according to that so that we can perform at our best in those important matches."
Meanwhile, Puneri Paltan's Captain Aslam Inamdar said that the gap between their last league-stage match and the Semi-Finals will help the players to recover from any kind of injury, "The long gap between our last league match and the Semi-Finals will give us the time to practice hard and devise our strategies. All the players will have the time to relax and be fully fit for the Semis. We'll also correct the mistakes we've made in our recent matches and play our best combination on the mat."
Speaking about extra pressure in playoff matches, Inamdar said, "There's certainly more pressure in knockout matches. We've to handle the pressure well. We played the Semis and the Final last season. You always have a chance to come back from a loss during the league stage, but you can't do that in knockout games."
The Puneri Paltan and Jaipur Pink Panthers have confirmed a top-two finish, while Dabang Delhi KC, Patna Pirates and Gujarat Giants are currently in the third, fourth and fifth places respectively.
Schedule for PKL Season 10 matches
Game 1: Haryana Steelers vs Patna Pirates - 8 pm
Game 2: Telugu Titans vs Jaipur Pink Panthers - 9 pm
Venue: Panchkula.
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