The Vodafone Premier Badminton League has been a witnessing some nerve-wracking close matches and with the season 4 reaching the penultimate stages, it’s defending champions Hyderabad Hunters who take on bottom-placed Delhi Dashers in the city’s Kanteerava stadium tomorrow.
Mathias Christiansen and Ashwini Ponnappa has performed brilliantly this season
With a fantastic trump record so far, the Hunters have looked like a lethal force to reckon against, having won 4 out of their 5 trump games. Led by PV Sindhu, with the likes of Mark Caljouw and dynamic doubles shuttler Bodin Isara in the ranks, table topper Hyderabad Hunters will seek to hold on to the position as they approach the knockout stages.
Speaking about the upcoming match, PV Sindhu said, “The team is in good space and we are looking forward to houseful Bangalore crowd. It was amazing to see how fans had turned out in numbers in Pune and Ahmedabad and am looking to a similar attendance here too.”
PV Sindhu will once again lead the Hyderabad Hunters from the front
The Delhi Dashers, on the other hand, didn’t exactly have a fruitful season succumbing to the bottom with only 2 points from the 5 ties they have played. Coming after a 5-0 loss to PBL debutants Pune 7 Aces, the Dashers will be keen to end the season on a high and also use the chance to upset the table. Awadhe Warriors are the only team this season to not lose a single trump match yet
With a semi-final berth already confirmed the Awadhe Warriors will be seeking to cap off the league stage with a win and keep the momentum going. Currently placed at the second position with 20 points, the Warriors are the only team this season to not lose a single trump match yet. Led by South Korean stalwart Son Wan Ho, the Awadhe Warriors have looked in unstoppable form and would be seeking to extend their sublime run when they take the court against North East.
Saina Nehwal in action for the North Eastern Warriors
The North Eastern Warriors, however, enjoyed a mixed campaign, facing some narrow losses that reduced their chances of qualification. Banking on a young squad led by India’s shuttle queen Saina Nehwal, the NE Warriors failed to churn out results in their favour in some close matches.
The highlight of the Warrior’s campaign has been the revelation of young shuttler Rituparna Das who won all her three matches, outclassing the likes of superior ranked shuttlers like Kirsty Gilmour and Evgeniya Kosetskaya.
Summing up the season, Saina said, “The team gave their best; unfortunately, some of the results didn’t go our way. But we are not fluttered by the past results and will be going all out against Awadhe Warriors and end the season on a high note. I am also looking forward to play in Bangalore.”