Good Captains Like Telugu Titans' Vijay Malik are Ones Who Can Win Matches: Rishank Devadiga

Speaking on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga praised Puneri Paltan’s dominance over UP Yoddhas, highlighting their raiding brilliance:

“Puneri Paltan played exceptionally well. Their captain Aslam Inamdar had promised in the pre-show that mistakes would be cut down, and he delivered. The way the duo of Aditya Shinde and Pankaj Mohite performed was outstanding. Early on, we saw Pankaj and Aslam leading the raids while Aditya stayed calm, but once he got his chance, he was brilliant. Both, Aditya and Pankaj, used the mat smartly, showed great skill in their raids, and completely dismantled UP’s defense."

On Puneri Paltan’s defensive dominance:

“It was expected that the raiders from both sides would perform because Pune and UP both have skilled raiders. In the end, the difference was the defense, and Pune’s defending unit clearly dominated. Gagan Gowda scored points, but his partner Bhavani Rajput struggled, and even Guman Singh couldn’t sustain his impact. Pune’s defense backed themselves, followed their captain, and that collective effort helped them secure the victory.”

On UP Yoddhas’ defensive lapses:

“Sumit Sangwan is a quality defender and has led well in the past, completing high-fives against Telugu Titans and Patna Pirates. But against Puneri Paltan, he couldn’t guide his team well and UP’s defense looked unsettled. Raiders like Gagan Gowda, Bhavani Rajput, and Guman Singh will always bring points, even if one has an off day. But unless the defense holds strong, you can’t close out matches. Against Pune, UP’s defense completely lost its shape, and that cost them the game.”

On Telugu Titans’ skipper Vijay Malik’s show against U Mumba:

“A captain always has to know when to take a step back because he must use all the weapons at his disposal. The way Vijay Malik used Bharat Hooda against U Mumba was a mark of smart leadership. We’ve also heard Telugu Titans’ head coach Krishan Kumar Hooda speak very highly of him, even terming him as ‘gold’ in an interview. Vijay has worked on his game, and I believe good captains like him are the ones who can win matches.”