Bengaluru Bulls coach Randhir Singh reveals reason for defeat in PKL 11 opener

Telugu Titans emerged victorious by a 37-29 scoreline against the Bulls.

Pawan Sehrawat lit up the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on the first night of PKL 11, steering the Telugu Titans to a solid 37-29 win over the Bengaluru Bulls. Speaking to the media after the game, Bengaluru Bulls coach Randhir Singh and captain Pardeep Narwal followed by Telugu Titans boss Krishan Kumar Hooda and captain Pawan Sehrawat, shared their thoughts on the game.

Here are the excerpts:

On the loss

“It was the first match of PKL 11 so we could not strategise properly. We still have many more matches to go. Our raiders are new but they could not click, this being the first match,” said coach Randhir Singh.

“I would not say anything to Pardeep, he will do better in coming matches. Jai Bhagwan could not perform well but our biggest loss was Ajinkya Pawar’s injury. But we still have many more games to go in PKL 11, ” he added.

On almost turning the match in their favour

The Telugu Titans were off to a flying start, as captain Pawan Sehrawat claimed the opening raid point of the season. Building on that momentum, he added a few more raid points, giving his team an early three-point cushion. The home crowd in Hyderabad erupted in excitement, but the Bengaluru Bulls, led by Pardeep Narwal, quickly clawed their way back into the contest, reducing the gap to just a single point.

“All I can say is that the match almost came in our control, but there were some defensive errors, we reduced their lead to almost one point but we could not capitalize on it,” said captain Pardeep Narwal on the team’s performance in the PKL 11.

“This was the first match of the league, we had new players as well, so we were not able to give our best but we have more matches to come, we can do it”, he concluded.

Watch the full PC here:

On kicking off PKL 11 with a win

Both sides were locked in an intense battle, neither willing to concede an inch. After a time-out, the Telugu Titans found their rhythm again, with Sehrawat leading the charge. By the halfway mark, the Titans had built a commanding 9-point advantage, heading into the break with a 20-11 lead, much to the delight of their fans.

“We have an old saying back in Haryana that if your leader is well, everything is well. Our coach is very good. Compared to last year this time our coach was way better and that was our reason to win, ” said Captain Pawan Sehrawat after kicking off PKL 11 with a win,

The second half saw a rejuvenated Bengaluru Bulls team storming out of the blocks. Their defence held firm, while their raiders took advantage of every opportunity, rapidly eating away at the Titans’ lead. Before long, the 9-point gap had been whittled down to just four points.

On the defence’s performance

With Surinder Dehal and Pardeep Narwal in top form, the Bulls dealt a major blow by inflicting an ‘all-out’ on the Titans midway through the second half. As the final 10 minutes approached, the score was incredibly tight, with the Bulls trailing by just one point, 24-23.

“All I can say is all the teams are very good so it is a big win. I expected this team to play well but the defence exceeded my expectations with their performance. Pawan was outstanding today. He won us points and he was the standout performer, ” said Telugu Titans coach Krishan Kumar Hooda who joined the team ahead of Pro Kabaddi League season 11.

However, the Telugu Titans weren’t about to give up control of the match. Sehrawat hit the 10-point mark, backed by the consistent performances of teammates Krishan, Vijay Malik, Sagar, and Ajit Pawar. With renewed energy, the Titans regained control, stretching their lead to seven points. Sehrawat then reached a historic milestone, crossing the 1,200 career points mark, making him only the third player in PKL history to do so.

“Honestly I didn’t even realise that I crossed 1200 points. All i had in my mind was that I needed to go in and win,” Pawan Sehrawat concluded.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Kabaddi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.