Dabang Delhi K.C. displayed a commanding performance to register a massive 47-26 win against U Mumba at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday. With 21 points separating the two sides, this was the second-highest margin of victory for a team this season.
It was also a historic night for Ashu Malik as he led the way with 23 points, marking his best-ever performance in the PKL. Neeraj Narwal chipped in with seven points, while Fazel Atrachali had four tackle points. For U Mumba, Sandeep Kumar recorded a Super 10, which served as consolation in the end.
It was a positive start to the game for U Mumba with Sandeep Kumar doing the heavy lifting for the season two champions. For Dabang Delhi K.C., Ashu Malik opened the scoring, but it was Neeraj Narwal who was making his presence felt in the early exchanges.
Sandeep Kumar made his mark with five points in the opening quarter, while a two-point raid from Neeraj Narwal helped his side stay in the game despite Dabang Delhi trailing 7-9 after the first ten minutes. Dabang Delhi soon levelled things up at 12-12, with Ashu Malik finding his groove in this cagey contest.
A Super Tackle from Sunil Kumar helped U Mumba regain their two-point lead as the first half drew to a close. However, Ashu Malik returned to ensure his side ended the half on a high, courtesy of a multi-point raid that inflicted an ALL OUT on his opponents at the stroke of half-time. He also completed his Super 10 in the process, giving Dabang Delhi K.C. a slender 19-17 lead at halftime.
With a couple of tackles, Fazel Atrachali and Surjeet Singh set the tone for Dabang Delhi K.C. in the second half, while Ashu Malik continued to do what he does best to help them extend their lead to five points. He further piled on the misery with a Super Raid to enforce another ALL OUT on U Mumba to make it a double-digit lead.
Dabang Delhi K.C. executed a third ALL OUT in quick succession, taking a massive 18-point lead at 37-19 with ten minutes to go in the game. Their dominance and aggression were reflected in the third quarter, when they scored eighteen points compared to U Mumba’s miserly two points. In the process, Ashu Malik also amassed 100 raid points for the season.
Meanwhile, there was no respite for U Mumba. Sandeep Kumar was the only shining light for them as he completed his Super 10 in the game. In the end, the night belonged to Ashu Malik, who capped his stellar outing with a Super Raid to record the best raiding performance of the season, finishing with 23 points in the match. Riding on his brilliance, Dabang Delhi K.C. sealed a commanding 47-26 victory to move to the top of the table.
UP Yoddhas survive Alireza Mirzaian’s heroics, defeat Bengaluru Bulls in tie-breaker
The UP Yoddhas edged past the Bengaluru Bulls in a thrilling clash that saw the lead keep changing hands at the SMS Indoor Stadium, Jaipur. After trailing in the first half, the Yoddhas bounced back with decisive raids and tackles to take control. But a last-second raid from Alireza Mirzaian pushed the game into a tie-breaker, where the Yoddhas held their nerve to seal victory.
The UP Yoddhas got off the mark right away, with Gagan Gowda scoring in the opening raid. However, the Bengaluru Bulls quickly hit back, as Alireza Mirzaian produced a successful raid to level the score at 1-1. The Iranian star soon gave the Bulls the lead, but the Yoddhas responded strongly with an all-round effort to move ahead 4-3. The Bulls, though, kept their momentum going and opened up a three-point cushion, leading 8-5.
In the opening 10 minutes, the Bulls’ raiders looked sharp while their defence stood firm, not allowing the Yoddhas to settle. Their solid display ensured they were 11-7 in front heading into the first-half time-out.
On resumption, the Bengaluru Bulls struck hard as Alireza Mirzaian’s successful raid helped them inflict an ALL OUT, stretching their lead to 15-7. The UP Yoddhas, however, refused to back down. They fought back with a few quick points to cut the deficit to 15-10.
Shivam Chaudhary added to the momentum with a successful raid, narrowing the gap further to 12-15. But just when the Yoddhas looked to be closing in, the Bulls’ defence stepped up in style, pulling off a brilliant Super Tackle with under three minutes left in the first half, pushing their lead to 18-12.
The Yoddhas then staged a roaring comeback right before halftime. They turned the game on its head by inflicting an ALL OUT of their own, bringing the score to 17-20. Bhavani Rajput’s smart raid added two more points, and suddenly the Yoddhas were right back in the contest, trailing by just one at 19-20 as the first half came to a close.
The second half began with the UP Yoddhas showing their defensive strength, as they quickly levelled the score at 20-20. However, the Bulls responded well, scoring two points to regain the lead. The contest stayed tight as both sides kept matching each other point for point. With just over 11 minutes left in the game, the scores were locked again at 24-24, keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats.
Bhavani Rajput produced a stunning raid, earning crucial points to give his side a 27-24 lead heading into the second-half time-out. The game followed a similar script after the restart, with the UP Yoddhas quickly inflicting an ALL OUT to stretch their lead to 31-26. The Bulls fought hard to cut the gap and came back to 32-30, but a strong tackle from Sumit gave the Yoddhas an extra point and pushed them ahead again.
As the clock ticked down, the Yoddhas extended their advantage to four points with less than a minute left. Bhavani Rajput, in top form, completed his Super 10 to add to the team’s momentum.
But just when the game looked in the Yoddhas’ favour, the Bulls’ star raider Alireza Mirzaian, who also completed a Super 10, turned the tables. He pulled off a stunning super raid in the dying seconds, levelling the score at 36-36 with just 25 seconds remaining. With neither side able to edge ahead, the thrilling contest went into a tie-breaker.
The tie-breaker began with the UP Yoddhas striking first, but the Bengaluru Bulls immediately answered to make it 1-1. The contest stayed neck and neck as both sides traded points, bringing the score to 3-3.
The Yoddhas then showed calmness under pressure. They regained the lead with a clever raid and followed it up with a strong tackle to move 5-3 ahead. The Bulls responded with a solid defensive effort to pull one back, but the Yoddhas added a bonus point to maintain their two-point cushion at 6-4.
In the final moments, the Bulls managed a successful raid, but it wasn’t enough. The Yoddhas held their nerve and sealed the tie-breaker 6-5, clinching a thrilling victory. This was the first instance where the first match of the day went into a Tie-Breaker.
