PKL 9: Tamil Thalaivas qualified for the playoffs defeating Yoddhas

Bharat's Super 20 Powers Bengaluru Bulls to Massive Win Over Patna Pirates

The Bengaluru Bulls stayed on track for a third place finish after defeating Patna Pirates 57-44 in the vivo Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 9 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Bharat emerged as the best player for the Bulls with 20 points in the game.

Bharat picked up a few raid points as the Bengaluru Bulls took the lead at 13-6 in the 7th minute. The Patna Pirates were on the verge of an all out but Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh effected a fantastic raid to keep his team afloat. However, Bharat carried out a multi-point raid soon after and helped his team inflict an ALL OUT and take a massive lead at 23-12 in the 13th minute. Sachin pulled off a magnificent running hand touch, however, the Bulls still held a comfortable lead at 25-14. Bharat caught out Sunil and Sajin C in the 17th minute as the Bulls continued to dominate the proceedings. The Bengaluru side kept raging on and ended the first half leading at 31-16.

Bharat effected a raid in the opening minutes of the second half and reduced the Pirates to just one member on the mat. Moments later, the Bulls inflicted another ALL OUT and earned an 18-point lead at 36-18. Sachin Narwal also backed up Bharat in the raiding department as the Bulls continued to forge ahead. Mahender Singh pulled off a brilliant SUPER TACKLE in the 33rd minute as the Bulls led at 43-28. Patna's Anand Tomar effected a SUPER RAID in the 36th minute, but the Bulls still held a big lead at 46-31. The Patna Pirates pulled off an ALL OUT in the last minute of the match, but they were too far behind Bulls' score. The Bengaluru players didn't take their foot off the pedal and eventually closed out a comprehensive victory.

Tamil Thalaivas Ease Past UP Yoddhas, Secure Playoff Berth

Narender and captain Ajinkya Pawar put on a stunning show for the Tamil Thalaivas, who defeated the UP Yoddhas by a scoreline of 43-28 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium. The win for the Tamil Thalaivas meant they secured a berth in the playoffs in Mumbai, and became the fifth team to progress to the next round. 

The Tamil Thalaivas were out of the blocks the quickest with Narender and Ajinkya Pawar giving them a 5-0 lead in the first few minutes. And while Anil Kumar picked up the first points for the UP Yoddhas, the Tamil Thalaivas were well and truly in control in the initial phase of play.  

As the half progressed, the UP Yoddhas kept chipping away at the with Anil doing most of the heavy lifting for his side. However, the Tamil Thalaivas were doing enough to keep their noses in front with the likes of Himanshu, Mohit and Arpit Saroha providing Narender and Ajinkya with ample support.  

For most of the first half, the UP Yoddhas’ raiding wasn’t as effective as they would have liked it to be, while the Tamil Thalaivas’ defenders had a spring in their steps. By the time the players stopped for a breather, the Tamil Thalaivas led by a scoreline of 18-9.  

Even though the second half started off with both sides trading points early on, the Tamil Thalaivas were in control of proceedings. With a little over 13 minutes to go, the UP Yoddhas landed their first ALL OUT of the game, and were raising hopes of a comeback as they ate into the Tamil Thalaivas’ lead.  

With 10 minutes left in the game, the UP Yoddhas had reduced the Tamil Thalaivas’ lead to 6 points. However, soon after a time-out, the Tamil Thalaivas upped the ante once again, and marched on, making it a 13-point lead with 6 minutes to go. Narender had already registered his Super 10 while Ajinkya too was scoring points for fun. Eventually, the Tamil Thalaivas walked off the mat with the win, and flight tickets for Mumbai.  

Awards on 07/12/2022  

Match 1: Patna Pirates vs Bengaluru Bulls    

vivo Perfect Player of the Match – Bharat (Bengaluru Bulls)   

Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match – Neeraj Narwal (Bengaluru Bulls)  

Moment of the Match - Neeraj Narwal (Bengaluru Bulls)   

Match 2: Tamil Thalaivas vs UP Yoddhas  

vivo Perfect Player of the Match – Narender (Tamil Thalaivas)    

Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match – Ajinkya Pawar (Tamil Thalaivas)  

Moment of the Match – Arpit Saroha (Tamil Thalaivas)  

Tune In details (08/12/2022) 

7:30 PM: Bengal Warriors vs Dabang Delhi K.C. 

8:30 PM: Haryana Steelers vs Telugu Titans