PKL 11: Haryana Steelers Down Delhi Dabang KC, Telugu Titans Edge Out Patna Pirates
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The Steelers produced an inspired performance to pick up a 41-34 win over Delhi, while the Titans registered a narrow 28-26 triumph over the Pirates in front of an impassioned home crowd.
PKL 11: Haryana Steelers beat Delhi Dabang KC. (X)
Bolstered by the return of captain Jaideep, Haryana Steelers beat Dabang Delhi KC 41-34 in a dominant display in the Pro Kabaddi League on Monday.
Mohammadreza Shadloui scored 10 points while Shivam Patare chipped in with eight points. For the Dabang Delhi KC, Ashu Malik top-scored with 13 points.
Haryana Steelers had a quick start. While Ashu Malik started off proceedings with an early point for Dabang Delhi KC, it was Haryana Steelers who had the better of their opponents in the initial minutes, as they raced to a 4-point lead.
For Haryana Steelers, Shivam Patare did most of the heavy lifting early on, as captain Jaideep, who was playing his first game of the season, settled in nicely within the first 10 minutes of the game.
With just over five minutes left in the first half, Shadloui pulled off a stunning three-point Super Raid to further propel Haryana Steelers ahead. Haryana Steelers clinched an ALL OUT with two minutes left, and went into the half-time break with a massive 11-point lead with the score reading 24-13.
After the break, Haryana Steelers looked to build on their lead. However, Dabang Delhi KC started to fight back with the likes of Ashu Malik, Naveen Kumar and Vikrant picking up crucial points.
However, a couple of Super Tackles from Haryana Steelers defence helped them restore the 11-point advantage, with just over 10 minutes to go in the contest.
At this point, Ashu Malik was leading the charge for the Dabang Delhi KC and the likes of Shivam Patare, Shadloui and Jaideep were ensuring that Haryana Steelers were in the ascendency.
Just after the 30-minute mark, Ashu Malik inflicted an ALL OUT on Haryana Steelers and completed his Super 10 to bring Dabang Delhi KC back into the contest.
However, soon after that Haryana Steelers upped the ante and thwarted all hopes of a comeback for Dabang Delhi KC. Eventually, Haryana Steelers walked off with their second consecutive win of the tournament.
PKL Season 11: Pawan Sehrawat leads Telugu Titans to a morale-boosting win over Patna Pirates
Telugu Titans 28-26 Patna Pirates
Led by Pawan Sehrawat, the Telugu Titans put in a brilliant performance against the Patna Pirates.
The Telugu Titans won the game 28-26, securing their second win of Season 11. For the Telugu Titans, Ashish Narwal scored 9 points and Pawan Sehrawat added five more to the cause.
It was a cautious start with neither the Patna Pirates nor the Telugu Titans taking chances in the early minutes. And while the Patna Pirates had a two-point lead in the initial minutes, the Telugu Titans picked up their first points through Ashish Narwal in the fourth minute. For the Patna Pirates, it was Devank and Ayan making the most impact in the early phase of play.
Midway through the first half, the Patna Pirates had a slender one-point lead with the score at 6-5 in their favour. For the Telugu Titans, Vijay Malik was leading the way at that point. Slowly but surely, the Patna Pirates, who are three-time champions, moved into a three-point lead, with three minutes left in the first half. By the end of the first half, the Patna Pirates led 13-10.
After the break, Pawan Sehrawat and the Telugu Titans sprang into action, reducing the deficit to one point in the early exchanges, before Vijay Malik brought things to level terms on 14-14 with 14 minutes left in the game. While Devank tried his best to keep the Patna Pirates in the lead, Ashish Narwal and the Telugu Titans landed an All Out, and they stormed into the lead with 10 minutes left on the clock.
As the final game progressed, the two sides cranked up the intensity and were trading points and raids, such that the difference between them stood at one point with five minutes to go. That’s when Ashish Narwal scored a Super Raid, which gave the Telugu Titans some breathing space.
Ayan bounced back with a crisp raid right after for the Patna Pirates, which put the game on a knife’s edge with a couple of minutes to go. However, the Telugu Titans held on with some fierce individual performances, that got them the much-needed win.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
