PKL 8: Haryana defeats Bengal, Bengaluru and Delhi share spoils

Vikash Kandola orchestrated a 4-point Super Raid in the 16th minute of the match.

Captain Vikash Kandola helped Haryana Steelers beat defending champions Bengal Warriors 46-29 on Day 6 in Pro Kabaddi League Season (PKL) 8’s Rivalry Week. The first match of the Triple Panga night proved to be a one-sided affair. The Steelers inflicted three ALL OUTs on Bengal. Vikash Kandola scored a Super 10 (10 points). He was supported well in the attack by Vinay (8 points) and Ashish (6 points).  

It was another disappointing match for Bengal Warriors despite their captain Maninder Singh scoring a Super 10 (13 points). He once again lacked the support to convert the performances into wins for the Warriors. Coach B.C. Ramesh will need a fresh plan to ensure the Bengal team remains with a chance to defend their title at the end of this month. 

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The teams traded blows in a high-scoring and fiercely competitive first half. Bengal coach B.C. Ramesh put raider Anand for Sukesh Hedge in the starting 7. Haryana’s coach Rakesh Kumar benched Surender Nada for Akshay. The PKL match didn’t have a high-scoring start with both the teams weighing each other up.

https://youtu.be/HXx_I8C5QcQ

The first big move came in the 16th minute when Vikash Kandola orchestrated a 4-point Super Raid. That helped the Steelers get the momentum and clinch an ALL OUT with 3 minutes remaining to open a 3-point lead. But Bengal immediately staged a comeback with substitute Sukesh Hegde picking up valuable raid points. His 19th-minute raid took out Haryana’s cover defenders Mohit and Jaideep. The first half of the PKL match ended with the scores level at 19-19. 

Both teams kept matching each other in the early minutes of the second half. Vinay added more sharpness to the Haryana raiding unit while Surender Nada was brought in to stabilise the left corner. Bengal's Maninder Singh kept picking up valuable raid points as he raced to a Super 10.

Vishal Mane was a weakling in the Bengal defence and the Steelers kept picking easy points off him. Vikash Kandola picked his Super 10 as Haryana defenders helped the team clinch another ALL OUT with 2 minutes remaining. The lead proved too much for Bengal to make a comeback as Haryana secured a win that will help them in the tight race for a playoff spot. 

Bengaluru Bulls play a tie with Dabang Delhi

Bengaluru Bulls and Dabang Delhi K.C. played out a highly-entertaining 36-36 tie on Day 6 in PKL Season 8’s Rivalry Week. The second match of the Triple Panga night defined the spirit of the Rivalry Week with Delhi doing the seemingly impossible by making a comeback to tie the match.

Pawan Sehrawat’s Super 10 had catapulted the Bulls to a 10-point lead. But Delhi showed their winning DNA by fighting their way back. Their young raider Naveen Kumar scored a Super 10 (13 points) while defenders Sandeep Narwal and Joginder Narwal scored 4 points each. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UTc3fKCyE8

The match started at a breakneck speed with Bulls’ Pawan Sehrawat and Delhi’s Naveen Kumar dominating the raids. Both attackers seemed in the groove for a big night. The defenders slowly started finding their feet as the game progressed. The first half of the PKL match ended 18-14 in favour of Delhi, but you could sense a shift in momentum towards the Bulls. 

Bengaluru used that momentum to clinch an ALL OUT in the 2nd minute after the restart. Pawan and a resolute defence helped the Bulls take the lead. Bharat and G.B. More contributed in both, defence, and attack as they slowly started getting the better of Delhi. Naveen Kumar had very little impact in the early minutes of the second half. The Bulls inflicted another ALL OUT in the 9th minute to open an 8-point lead. Pawan Sehrawat got yet another Super 10 as the Bulls suddenly looked favourites for the win. 

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Delhi’s seniors did not like how the team had conceded a big lead and started losing their temper on the mat. Manjeet Chhillar, Sandeep Narwal and Joginder Narwal could be seen engaged in heated discussions as Pawan Sehrawat found easy points for the Bulls. But Delhi showed why they are on top of the PKL points table by staging a late comeback.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9OdVV8X79k

Naveen Kumar clinched his Super 10 as they secured an ALL OUT in the dying minutes to make it a 1-point game. Pawan Sehrawat thought his 2-point raid in the final minute would have won the Bulls the match, but Naveen immediately scored a point for Delhi. With 30 seconds remaining, Bengaluru had a 1-point lead, but Manjeet Chhillar produced a stunning ankle hold to pin Pawan Sehrawat and earn Delhi a well-fought tie. 

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