Photo credits : Indian Badminton League
Finally, the time has come when the top four teams in Indian Badminton League (IBL) will clash against each other in the semi-finals in order to reach finals to battle for the Indian Badminton League trophy. Before the final league match that was between Hyderabad Hotshots & Banga Beats, we already had our four finalists to compete in the semis. Hyderabad Hotshots is on the top of the table with 17 points and the second position is shared by two teams i.e., Awadhe Warriors, Pune Pistons and Mumbai is on third position with 15 points and finally, we have Krrish Delhi Smashers and Banga Beats on the last spot with 13 points.
Saina Nehwal Photo credits: Indian Badminton League
The first semi-final will be held at Hyderabad, which is a home ground for Hyderabad Hotshots which will definitely help in increasing their morale. But the fact is that, both Hyderabad Hotshots and Pune Pistons have faced a loss against Banga Beats and Awadhe Warriors respectively in their previous games. Coming to the face to face game between Hyderabad Hotshots and Pune Pistons, Hyderabad Hotshots have won that game with a score of (4 – 1) which will help them in building a strategy.
The player to watch out for in today’s game will be Saina Nehwal, Juliane Schenk, Ajay Jayaram, Ashwini Ponnappa and many more. The first game from Hyderabad Hotshots will be definitely played by Ajay Jayaram, who is back into the form after few matches. It will be interesting to see whether Pune Pistons will send Nyugen Tien Minh or someone else. In their last encounter, Ajay Jayaram won and that too in two straight sets with scores of (21 – 19) & (21- 8).
Juliane Schenk -Pune Pistons
The next game will be women’s singles and for this Saina Nehwal will be representing her team as she has done in the last 5 games. She is unbeatable till now. From Pune Pistons, Juliane Schenk will be taking the responsibility. Saina Nehwal won the last encounter between them, but it will be interesting to see how Juliane Schenk responds, because if she plays aggressively then she might have to lose again. The best and the most important positive aspect of Hyderabad Hotshots is that don’t believe in sending the same players for Singles and Doubles matches, which keeps the players fresh, so that they can play more aggressively.
Pune Pistons mixed double pairs are by far the best in this tournament. They have a plenty of options to choose from. The main concern for Pune Pistons will be Men’s Singles 2. So, Pune Pistons have to make a strategy accordingly because a loss in this match means you are out of the tournament. The game is going to be completely action packed, so you can’t afford to miss it. So, grab your popcorn and wait till the clock strikes at 8. We will be back again with the complete review for this game and the preview for semifinal 2 very soon!