PHL 2023: Rajasthan Patriots aim To get back to winning ways against Delhi Panzers

Jaipur, June 18 (IANS) Rajasthan Patriots will aim to get back to winning ways when they face Delhi Panzers in their next match in the first-ever Premier Handball League (PHL) at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium here on Monday.

The Patriots are currently third in the league standings with eight points in their kitty. This will be the second encounter between the two teams in the season.

The last time both these sides met, Rajasthan Patriots went down to Delhi Panzers 18-34. For the Patriots, Dmitrii Kireev with five goals was the highest scorer in the game, while Bhupender Ghanghas was the highest scorer amongst both the teams scoring 11 past Patriots captain Atul Kumar. Rajasthan Patriots will go into Monday's match with an aim to equalize their head-to-head record with the Panzers.

The Patriots have learnt their lessons from the setback in their previous encounter with the Panzers and are now determined not to repeat them on Monday.

"The last match did not go the way we had planned for, but we always learn from our mistakes and make sure we do not repeat them. Handball, as a sport, is fast where the margin of errors does not exist and I am confident we will perform to the best of our capabilities in the next match and will give our supporters many reasons to cheer," Naya Chandra Singh, head coach, Rajasthan Patriots, said ahead of the clash.

The Patriots captain and goalkeeper Atul Kumar has been in immaculate form and is vital to his team keeping the opponents from scoring. He is also vocal on the court and encourages the team from the back, in the entire game.

The Panzers will go into Monday's match high on confidence after winning by a huge margin in their last clash with the Patriots.

Besides the in-form Bhupender Ghanghas, Jasmeet Singh and Deepak Ahlawat are also a threat in the scoring department while Mohit Ghanghas, Hardev Singh, Sumit Kumar and Dmitrii Kireev of Patriots will have to show their top game against Panzer's custodian Nitin Sharma who had single handily kept the hosts' attack at bay.