PKL: We need to improve our defensive skills, says Gujarat Giants head coach Ram Mehar Singh

Bengaluru, Oct 9 (IANS) The vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 witnessed another exciting day when two matches ended in a tie at the Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. Three-time champions Patna Pirates tied 34-34 with Puneri Paltan, while Gujarat Giants tied 31-31 with Tamil Thalaivas.

Speaking about their match, the Gujarat Giants Head Coach Ram Mehar Singh expressed, "We had an up and down match. Our raiders and defenders did well in the game. However, I think we could have won the match, if our defense unit performed a little better. We'll need to improve our defensive skills."

Gujarat Giants' raider Rohit Kumar was brought on as a substitute, but he didn't carry out any raids. When asked about the same, the Head Coach said, "Rohit is good at carrying out ankle holds in the corner and that's why we brought him in during the game. He will effect raids in the future as well. Tamil Thalaivas' Narender played very well and he made a huge difference in the game."

After three triple-panga days, a high-octane double-panga is scheduled for Monday, October 10. U Mumba will take on UP Yoddhas, while Dabang Delhi KC will face off against Gujarat Giants.

After a heart-breaking 27-41 loss to Dabang Delhi KC in the opening match of the tournament, U Mumba will be looking to bounce back when they face UP Yoddhas. Raiders Ashish and Guman Singh will be aiming to take their game to the next level, however, UP Yoddhas' Pardeep Narwal and Surender Gill are in terrific form.

Meanwhile, defending champions Dabang Delhi KC's main focus will be to continue their good form when they take on Gujarat in the second match on Monday. In the meantime, the Giants will hope for their Captain Chandran Ranjit to lead from the front and put up a great performance against Delhi.