Top shuttler Saina Nehwal feels the new rule of ‘trump match’ will prove to be the turning point in the second edition of the Premier Badminton League, that gets under way in Mumbai on January 2.
Top shuttler Saina Nehwal feels the new rule of ‘trump match’ will prove to be the turning point in the second edition of the Premier Badminton League, that gets under way in Mumbai on January 2.
With her team Awadhe Warriors boasting names like Christinna Pedersen of Denmark, B. Sai Praneeth, Cai Yun of China, Hendra Gunawan of Indonesia and Bodin Issara of Thailand to name a few, Saina is confident of her team giving a strong fight.
“It’s a great moment for all of us as Premier Badminton League is all set to commence with the best players of the world and we will see tough competition,” said Saina.
“What is exciting me the most is the new rule of ‘trump match’. I think that will be the turning point for any team during any day. So using it effectively will be the key for each team,” she added.
This season, the PBL organisers have brought in new rules to make the league more exciting. Apart from matches being played up to 15 points, another change will see each team getting to strategically select one of the five matches that they play in a tie as their “trump match” where a victory gives the team a bonus point and a loss brings a negative point.
Besides, a team cannot put the same player in the trump matches proposed by them more than twice in the league stage and once in the knock out stage.
Meanwhile, a confident Srikanth Kidambi is keen to give a winning start to the Bengaluru Top Guns.
With a good mix of players in each category, Srikanth will have the company of Anand Pawar and Sameer Verma for the men’s singles ties.
Said Srikanth: “I think the men’s singles matches will be an interesting contest as with two matches, the teams will want to win both as then that will help get the edge in the tie. With Sameer and Anand in our team, I think we have a healthy mix and between us we will be able to give a tough time to the opponents.
“The PBL will be great exposure for the players and will help benefit us by making us play high intensity matches.”
In the women’s category, home girl Ashwini Ponnappa will lead the charge. Joining Ashwini as the lone women’s singles player is China’s Suo Di.
“For me personally, having previously played a similar format will add to my game and boost our chances of doing better than the rest. I will work hard to win the league for the fans of Bangalore,” said Ashwini.
The league will start from January 2, 2016, with six franchisees — Delhi Acers, Hyderabad Hunters, Awadhe Warriors, Mumbai Rockets, Bengaluru Top Guns and Chennai Smashers — competing for the top honours. The opening day of the league sees Awadhe Warriors take on Mumbai Rockets in Mumbai.
