PKL 9: Tamil Thalaivas and Patna Pirates reach top six in table

Sagar put up a show for his side.

Tamil Thalaivas vs U Mumba

The Tamil Thalaivas put up a clinical performance to defeat U Mumba 34-20 in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 9 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Captain Sagar led from the front with 8 tackle points, meanwhile, Ajinkya Pawar chipped in with 5 raid points.

The two sides played out a neck and neck contest in the opening minutes and were locked at 2-2 in the 4th minute. However, Narender effected a raid and the Thalaivas tackled Guman Singh in quick succession as the side from Tamil Nadu took the lead at 5-3 in the 8th minute. Moments later, Thalaivas' raider Ajinkya Pawar caught out Shivansh Thakur and Rinku and helped his team inflict an ALL OUT and attain a stronghold of the match at 10-3. Defenders Mohit and Sahil Gulia carried out tackle points as the Thalaivas kept forging ahead.

However, Jai Bhagwan pulled off a multi-point raid and Mohit tackled Ajinkya Pawar to keep the Mumbai side in the game at 8-14 in the 28th minute. U Mumba had a great chance to inflict an all-out when there were only two Thalaivas players on the mat, but Narender effected a raid and the Himanshu pulled off a SUPER TACKLE soon after to help their team hold a comfortable lead at 18-10 at the end of the first half.

Ashish carried out a multi-point raid in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Thalaivas still held a big lead at 20-12 in the 24th minute. Narender pulled off a magnificent raid in the 28th minute as the side from Tamil Nadu attained a ten-point lead at 23-13. The Thalaivas kept raging on and reduced U Mumba to just three members on the mat. However, the Mumbai side didn't give up hope and stayed afloat after tackling Pawar in the 33rd minute. However, the Thalaivas eventually inflicted an ALL OUT in the 37th minute and took a huge lead at 32-18. The team from Tamil Nadu rode on the momentum and eventually closed out a comprehensive victory.

Patna Pirates vs Telugu Titans

Unbent by the pressure of a partisan home crowd, the Patna Pirates defeated the Telugu Titans 36-35 in a high scoring game of kabaddi at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Siddharth Desai's 15 points — on a day when he also reached 600 raid points in the league — was the highlight of the day for the Titans. 

The game kicked off with Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh tackling Siddharth Desai on the very first raid of the evening. The clash between the two man-mountains was the highlight of the day, and in the beginning stages it looked like Chiyaneh had Desai's number. But soon enough it proved to not be the case. 

As the game rolled on, Desai caught Chiyaneh out on multiple occasions, and in the process ensured his team surged ahead in the early going. Against pregame expectations, it was the Titans who inflicted the first ALL OUT of the evening, as they took a 11-7 lead. 

The Pirates rallied after that all out, and a combination of Sachin's raiding and stubborn defending helped them claw back and soon they inflicted an ALL OUT of their own, turning the tables to take a 16-14 lead. By now, the momentum had shifted and the Pirates went into the break leading 22-17.

The Pirates refused to let go of their stranglehold on the game as the second half kicked off, and yet the Titans refused to buckle under. The Desai-Chiyaneh battle continued unabated, with the raider winning most of the battles. Despite a spate of strong defending by the Titans, the Pirates inflicted a second ALL OUT on them to take a 10-point lead.

Urged by their home fans, the Titans rallied together and clawed back the points to avoid going home with nothing. Desai's strong game continued and he completed his 15th point of the game with just a few minutes left. On the last raid of the evening, the Titans inflicted a second ALL OUT of their own, but in the end it proved too little too late as they lost by one point. 

Award Winners of the Night:

Match 1: U Mumba vs Tamil Thalaivas

vivo Perfect Player of the Match - Sagar (Tamil Thalaivas)

Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match - Sahil Gulia (Tamil Thalaivas)

Moment of the Match - Sagar (Tamil Thalaivas)

Match 2: Telugu Titans vs Patna Pirates

vivo Perfect Player of the Match - Sachin (Patna Pirates)

Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match - Monu (Patna Pirates)

Moment of the Match - Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (Patna Pirates)