Oilmax-Stag Yoddhas and RP-SG Mavericks face off in Tie 11 of CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) at the Thyagaraj Stadium on Sunday. There is no denying that both teams are desperately in need of a win, as Oilmax-Stag Yoddhas are fifth in the table with 32 points, while the Mavericks are one step ahead of their opponents with 37 points, going into the clash.

The Yoddhas are heading into Sunday’s clash at the back of a humiliating defeat against Falcons TTC a few days ago. Apart from Polina Mikhailova’s 3-0 win over Sutirtha Mukherjee, the Yoddhas hardly troubled the Falcons in any of the Matches. As a result, they endured the biggest defeat in the competition so far. There is no doubt that the thrashing defeat would have surely dented their confidence, and it will be interesting to see their approach in today’s clash against the Mavericks.

On a positive note for the Yoddhas, Doo Hoi Kem has been their star performer so far, as the 20-year-old bailed the team out in crunch situations many times. After suffering a shocking 3-0 loss against the in-form Wu Yang in the last Tie, Kem would be hoping to come good against the Mavericks outfit on Sunday.

Aruna Quadri’s inconsistency has been a problem for the Yoddhas and the talented African will be tested in today’s clash against the likes of Sharath Kamal & Co.

On the other hand, RP-SG Mavericks endured two back-to-back defeats, before claiming a nail-biting 14-13 win against Dabang Smashers TTC. Going into this clash, the biggest positive for them is the rollicking form of Sharath Kamal, as the Indian veteran won both his Matches in the previous Ties against the World No. 8, Won Chung Ting and Marcos Freitas.

In addition to his heroics in the Men’s Singles category, Kamal has also been stupendous in Mixed Doubles. The Yoddhas could be in for a tough time against the 35-year-old tonight.

Sabine Winter has been dismantling her Indian opponents so far, but the same cannot be said in the foreign category as she is yet to win a match against a foreign opponent. The German would be hoping to end that underwhelming record when she gets to the table against the Yoddhas in tonight’s encounter.

There is no denying that it’s going to be an intriguing battle. Both teams need a win desperately to keep their semi-final hopes alive. The CEAT UTT Tie between Oilmax-Stag Yoddhas and RP-SG Mavericks will be shown Live on Star Sports Select 2 HD, Star Sports Select 2, Hotstar and Jio TV.