Match: Awadhe Warriors v Mumbai Rockets
Date: 6 December, Friday
Time: 9:30pm SGT/7pm IST/1:30pm GMT
Competition: Premier Badminton League 2017
Venue: Uttar Pradesh Badminton Association Stadium, Lucknow
TV Channel: In Singapore, there is no live TV coverage.
Live streaming: Hotstar
Overview
Hosts Awadhe Warriors are brimming with confidence after outclassing heavyweights Hyderabad Hunters and defending champions Delhi Acers in their first two games. The Lucknow-based unit are playing their final home game on Friday and are well-placed to make it three out of three before they head to Bengaluru on Saturday.
Except India's star shuttler Saina Nehwal, no one else has lost a match over the two ties they have played so far. In the game against Hunters on 2 January, reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin defeated Saina but Awadhe managed to win all the other matches, including the Trump clash to make it 5-0. On Thursday, Awadhe handed a 6/-1 thrashing to Acers, who are now out of contention for the semi-final spot after back-to-back defeats.
Also, their Men's singles players Kidambi Srikanth and Wing Ki Vincent defeated world number two Jan O Jorgensen and world number four Son Wan Ho, respectively. Men's doubles pairing of V. Shem Goh and Markis Kido have been key to their campaign so far as the top-ranked Malaysian doubles star has been on top of his game.
On the other hand, Mumbai Rockets also made merry in their home leg snatching two wins from as many ties. They also inflicted a 6/-1 defeat over Acers before edging out Hunters in a tight clash.
Rockets' women's singles star Sung Ji Hyun, who defeated Marin, will take on Saina in what will be a cracker tonight. Their in-form Men's doubles pairing of top-ranked South Korean star Lee Yong Dae and his Thai youngster Nipitphon Phuangphuapet will be eyeing to upset Awadhe's Goh and Kido.
With the top-spot up for grabs, both the in-form teams would not want to given an inch to their opposition. Nonetheless, the final tie in Lucknow promises to be a high-voltage affair.
TV Schedule
India: Star Sports
Team News
Awadhe
Squad: Saina Nehwal, V Shem Goh, Srikanth Kidambi, Savitree Amitrapai, Wong Wing Ki Vincent, Rituparna Das, Bodin Isara, Markis Kido, Prajakta Sawant, Aditya Joshi
Mumbai
Squad: Sung Ji Hyun, Lee Yong Dae, Nadiezda Zieba, Ajay Jayaram, Prannoy HS, Nipitphon Phusnhphupet, Manu Atri, Abhishek Yelegar, Vrushali G, Mohita Sehdev
