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The fixture between the Warriors and the Paltan ended in an 32-32 stalemate as they split points on Tuesday, while the Bulls nicked out the side from Delhi in a 34-33 win.
PKL: Bengal Warriors 32-32 Puneri Paltan. (X)
Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali became the first player to reach 500 tackle points in Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) as the Bengal Warriors and the Puneri Paltan played out an exciting draw in a Season 11 clash at the GMCB Indoor Stadium, in Gachibowli, on Tuesday. The two teams ended the game locked on 32-32. For the Bengal Warriors, who registered their second consecutive tie, it was Sushil Kambrekar who top-scored with 10 points.
On the mat, all eyes were on the legendary Atrachali, who rewrote the history books when he registered his 500th tackle point in PKL and became the first player to do so in the history of the tournament.
It was a cautious start for both Bengal Warriors and Puneri Paltan in the initial minutes, which meant points were hard to come by. However, after the early exchanges, it was the Puneri Paltan, who pulled away with a three-point lead, with Mohit Goyat leading the charge.
After that though the Bengal Warriors fought back and stormed into the lead with Praveen Thakur and captain Fazel Atrachali leading the way. Midway through the first half though the Bengal Warriors had picked up a 1-point lead in what was turning out to be a tight game. But in the final minutes of the half, Akash Shinde and Abinesh Nadarajan turned on the heat and the Puneri Paltan stormed into a 5-point lead.
With two minutes left in the first half, Fazel Atrachali tackled Mohit Goyat and that saw him reach the 500 tackle points mark in the PKL, a feat that has never been achieved before this in the history of the competition. Right after, the teams went into the half-time break with Puneri Paltan leading 15-12.
After the break, the Puneri Paltan further extended their lead with Gaurav Khatri landing an All Out on Nitin Dhankhar, which put further pressure on Fazel and co. In response, Sushil Kambrekar inflicted an All Out on the Puneri Paltan which brought the Bengal Warriors right back into the contest.
At the midway stage in the second half, the Bengal Warriorz trailed by 4 points. With five minutes to go, Sushil Kambrekar completed his Super 10, and the Bengal Warriorz continued to fight on.
The fightback continued for the Bengal Warriorz, and with a couple of minutes to go they took a slender 1-point lead. However, in the final minute, the Puneri Paltan levelled things up at 32-32 and that’s how the contest ended.
Bengaluru Bulls 34-33 Dabang Delhi KC
The Bengaluru Bulls pulled off a comeback that will be remembered for quite a while, clinching a stylish 34-33 victory against Dabang Delhi K.C. to register their first win of Season 11.
The Dabang Delhi K.C. side had the better start of the two sides and had quickly moved into the lead within the first minutes. The Bengaluru Bulls were finding it hard to break through their opponents, and the Dabang Delhi K.C. side continued to build on.
As the first half progressed, Ashu Malik was pulling all the strings for the Dabang Delhi K.C. side, and they moved into a 3-point lead around the midway stage of the first half.
With eight minutes to go in the half, Brijendra Chaudhary inflicted an All Out on the Bengaluru Bulls which further extended the Dabang Delhi K.C.’s advantage. The Dabang Delhi K.C. side were dominating the contest and within the first 15 minutes, Ashu Malik had completed his Super 10, while the Bengaluru Bulls were still finding it difficult to rake in the points. At the halftime break, the Dabang Delhi K.C. led 22-14.
After the break, the Bengaluru Bulls came out of the blocks stronger and were beginning to mount a fightback. In the initial minutes of the second half, the momentum was with the Bengaluru Bulls, but soon enough the Dabang Delhi K.C. side got their act going as Sandeep and Vinay started picking up crucial points. At the half-hour mark in the game, the Dabang Delhi K.C. led by 27-22.
From then on in, the Bengaluru Bulls with Jai Bhagwan scoring a Super 10, started to push the Dabang Delhi K.C. side and the contest got really close as the deficit between the two sides was at two points. With two minutes left, Pardeep Narwal stepped up and inflicted a crucial All Out on the Dabang Delhi K.C., which gave the Bengaluru Bulls a slender one-point lead, giving them hope of a much-needed win. The comeback was well and truly on.
The Bengaluru Bulls did not disappoint, as they held on for the win. For the Bengaluru Bulls, the stars of the show were Jai Bhagwan with 11 points and Pardeep Narwal with seven points.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
