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Bengal Warriorz beat UP Yoddhas 32-29 as Haryana Steelers got the better of Jaipur Pink Panthers 37-25 in Pro Kabaddi League.
PKL: Bengal Warriorz defeated UP Yoddhas and Haryana Steelers beat Jaipur Pink Panthers (X)
The Bengal Warriorz produced a fantastic all-round team performance as they defeated the UP Yoddhas in Pro Kabaddi League on Thursday at the GMCB Indoor Stadium, in Gachibowli at Hyderabad. Meanwhile, Haryana Steelers registered their first win of PKL Season 11 and put in a fantastic performance, as they swatted away the challenge from the Jaipur Pink Panthers.
The Bengal Warriorz won the contest with a scoreline of 32-29. For the Bengal Warriorz, the likes of Maninder Singh, Sushil Kambrekar and Nitin Dhankhar were the standout players, while Bharat scored 13 points for the UP Yoddhas.
The Haryana Steelers won the contest by a scoreline of 37-25 with Vinay, Naveen and Shivam Patare playing starring roles for their side.
Brilliant Team Performance
Maninder Singh started off brilliantly for the Bengal Warriorz, as he picked up the majority of the points in the early exchanges for his side. Maninder Singh’s burst meant that the UP Yoddhas fell behind in the first phase of play. Supporting Maninder Singh quite well was the in-form Nitin Dhankhar.
The Bengal Warriorz looked determined to stop the UP Yoddhas and were not letting them settle into a rhythm. At the midway stage of the first half, both sides were locked at 8-8, with the UP Yoddhas having fought back after trailing up until then. The Bengal Warriorz fought hard and went into the half-time break with the score reading 12-11 in their favour. For the UP Yoddhas, Bharat was leading the points tally with 5 points to his name at the break.
It was a cautious start to the second half from both sides, but the first points went to the UP Yoddhas. As the half wore on, both teams continued to trade points, with neither letting the other out of sight. Maninder Singh, Nitin Dhankhar, Sushil Kambrekar and Fazel Atrachali were leading the charge for the Bengal Warriorz, while Bharat was fighting away for the UP Yoddhas. Midway through the second half, the Bengal Warriorz had a slender 1-point lead.
In the final ten minutes of the contest, the Bengal Warriorz looked to crank up the style. Nitin Dhankhar inflicted an ALL OUT on the UP Yoddhas, to further extend the Bengal Warriorz’s lead. That was followed up by some superb defending led by Fazel Atrachali, which put more pressure on the UP Yoddhas. In the final few minutes, the UP Yoddhas threatened as Bharat and Bhavani Rajput picked up a few crucial points, however, Fazel Atrachali, Maninder Singh, Sushil Kambrekar and Nitin Dhankhar were having none of it. Eventually, the Bengal Warriorz came away with their first win of the season.
First Win of the Season
The Haryana Steelers were out of the blocks at rapid pace, and picked up a 3-point lead within the first few minutes of the game. Naveen and Vinay were causing the Jaipur Pink Panthers plenty of problems in the initial phases. The Haryana Steelers were doing well to keep the opponents at bay in the early phase.
As the contest reached the half way stage of the first half, the Haryana Steelers had established a 3-point lead and were looking to consolidate further. Naveen was leading the charge for the Haryana Steelers, who were beginning to dominate proceedings on the mat. With the clock ticking away, it was Haryana Steelers’ Vinay who was having the biggest impact on the game. Vinay’s tally of 9 points in the first half proved crucial as the Haryana Steelers went into the break with the score at 20-11 in their favour.
The second half started with the Jaipur Pink Panthers picking up the first points, in what was a cautious and watchful start. The Haryana Steelers’ had a substantial lead and were looking to build on it, while the Jaipur Pink Panthers were looking at the likes of Abhijeet Malik to lead the charge in attack. Midway through the second half, the Haryana Steelers led by 12 points with Vinay and Naveen accounting for 16 points by themselves.
The Haryana Steelers were in the box seat as the final phase of the contest rolled on. Vinay had completed his Super 10, and was getting ample support from the rest of the team, all of whom were in fine form on the day. As always, the Haryana Steelers’ defence left their mark on the contest, foiling attacks with relative ease, leaving the Jaipur Pink Panthers in a spot of bother. Eventually, the Haryana Steelers walked off the mat with a comprehensive win.