Bengaluru: Refreshed and energized by a 5 day break, the Bengaluru Top Guns are all set to welcome the Premier Badminton League for the final round of the league stage ties. While the Mumbai Rockets take on Delhi Acers in the first game of the night, it will be the second game that will have Bengaluru's attention - the home team taking on their Southern neighbours, Chennai Smashers. With 8 points and no outright wins so far for Bengaluru, the situation becomes a must win for the Top Guns with nothing less than winning all 5 matches needed to qualify for the semi-finals. The result of the Mumbai-Delhi tie will also affect Bengaluru's chances of making it to the knockout stages.
Coach Arvind Bhat was focussing on the positives gained from a fruitful and much needed break before the home game. "Our opponents played a match yesterday and will play us in Bengaluru immediately after they travel down here. We can hope to capitalize on the fact that they are tired and exhausted after continuous playing and travelling. Our long break is definitely an advantage when facing such strong players in a crucial tie."
Boosted by the return of Joachim Fischer Nielsen to the squad after his absence from the previous three ties, Bhat was tight-lipped on the name of Ashwini Ponnappa's partner for the mixed doubles match. "Obviously we don't want to reveal our team sheet but it could either be Fischer or Khim Wah Lim who will play with Ashwini. Both are strong players and Khim has won a match playing with Ashwini as well. Fischer and Ashwini work well together also but the decision as to who her partner will be, that will be decided tomorrow only."
While the mixed doubles lineup is still in question, Coach Bhat is hopeful of an upset over Chennai Smashers' PV Sindhu by Bengaluru's Chinese Dynamo in Suo Di. "Suo Di will be facing a tough opponent in Sindhu and she is completely prepared for it. It will definitely boost our chances if she can pull off an upset. She has won all her matches, except for the one against Saina (Nehwal). But she pushed Saina to a deciding set and because of that, I believe that Suo Di can challenge Sindhu and push her to her limits tomorrow."
The permutations and combinations for Bengaluru to qualify for the semi-finals warrant them winning both Trump Matches. While captain Kidambi Srikanth cannot be selected for a trump match, all the other players in the squad are eligible to be selected for the Trump Match. It looks to be a difficult choice for Coach Arvind Bhat to select a match as their 'Trump Match' with their men's doubles opponents probably being England's leading doubles player in Chris Adcock along with rising Indian doubles player Pranaav Chopra. Srikanth, at no.9, is the highest ranked singles player between both teams with France's Brice Leverdez playing for Chennai ranked at no.36. If Bengaluru do select Fischer for the mixed doubles, they hold an advantage over Chennai with the Danish player being ranked 4th in the mixed doubles category over Chennai's Chris Adcock ranked 7th.
While the atmosphere at training in the Sree Kanteerava Stadium was cheerful and upbeat, the players and coach are well aware of the tough task ahead of them if they want to contest the finals in New Delhi. Coach Arvind Bhat concluded on a positive yet realistic note, "The players are fully aware that they need to give their 110% out there tomorrow. We will have the support of our home fans behind us and we know that nothing is impossible so we just have to go out there and give it our best."
