Premier Badminton League: Back With More Promising Players And Rush
The second edition of the Premier Badminton League commenced on the 1st of January this year. This season, while some teams managed to retain their focal players, some players have been shifted base due to various reasons.
Premier Badminton League: A New Legacy
The new season started off with some top players across the world squaring off against one another. But the main focus of the day was when Olympic gold medallist Carolina Marin locked horns with PV Sindhu. Representing the Hyderabad team, Marin bagged the first game at ease mostly because of Sindhu’s unforced errors. Sindhu eventually fought back and won the second game, by saving 3 points. The third set seemed like a walk in the park for Marin. The Indian’s spirit and energy fell short before the Olympic gold medallist, due to which the match was clinched by the Spaniard. Marin was at the top of her game, while Sindhu was mourning her first loss in PBL after six consecutive wins in the previous season.
The second match of the day too, was a nerve wrecking one. World No.3 Jan O Jorgensen was to square off against Denmark counterpart Viktor Axelsen. The match finally ended in favour of Jorgensen, adding a point for the Delhi team.
High-Spirited War
Awadhe warriors set foot into Premier Badminton League campaign with an explosive win against the arduous Hyderabad hunters at 5-0.
What seemed to be quite a dull year for Saina Nehwal, might just turn around as she somehow managed to retain her position as the lead singles player for Awadhe Warriors.
In the most awaited match of the day, Carolina Marin beat Saina Nehwal in a nerve wrecking session with 15-14, 11-5. However, the warriors got back to their feet with some phenomenal games from Wong Wing Ki and Srikanth Kidambi.
Chennai Warriors proved their immunity and capability with yet another solid win against Bengaluru Blasters winning 5-0. P.V Sindhu and Parupalli Kashyap stood out with their professional skills and sensational techniques.
Stars In The Making
The team with the most number of newcomers managed to leave all other teams behind with its awe-worthy performances. Mumbai Rockets, by defeating all the strong teams and players has secured its spot at the top. The team, with Ajay Jayaram as their captain launched their Premier Badminton League campaign with a tremendous win against Delhi Acers and the Hyderabad Hunters.
A high-spirited Sung-Ji Hyun very boldly took on world no.2 Carolina Marin and how. Other players like Ajay Jayaram andPrannoy Kumar too, never cease to impress the audience with their simple yet phenomenal techniques.
Delhi In Trouble
The fifth day of the season commenced in Lucknow, with Awadhe Warriors and Delhi Acers squaring off against each other. The match was clinched by the Awadhe team, with standout performances from Srikanth and Nehwal. However, they weren’t able to maintain their winning streak for too long. The team lost to Mumbai Rockets by a very close margin, giving into the team’s winning streak.
Day 7 of the league was a very crucial one for both the competing teams, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. They had to bounce back from their respective defeats. After a set of nerve wrecking games, the match ended in favour of the Hyderabad team with a marginal 3-4.
A Much-Needed Win
The Delhi Acers, who hadn’t a single win, had to square off against the feisty Chennai Smashers on the 8th day of Premier Badminton League. The day began with Jorgensen clinching his match against Chennai’s Tommy Sugiarto with 11-4, 11-6. After a set of matches, Delhi Acers clinched the much-needed game at 5-2.
The Bengaluru Blasters lost two consecutive games in their hometown- Bangalore. The team fell quite short on technique and endurance against ace teams of Mumbai Smashers and Awadhe Warriors.
A rough face-off
The tenth day of the league had two extremely strong teams square off against each other in Bangalore. Both Mumbai and Chennai have predominantly tasted victory throughout the season and so, the match was definitely going to be a nail-biter. The match had some great standout performances from Olympic silver medallist Sindhu, Chris and Gabriella Adock (doubles), and Tommy Sugiarto who finally clinched the game with a gracious 3-4. The win eventually led the Chennai Smashers into the semi-final along with the Mumbai Smashers and the Awadhe Warriors.
The next match between Awadhe and Chennai will again be a nerve wrecker, as two very strong teams pose against each other to emerge victorious.
Picture Courtesy: DeccanChronicle