Bengaluru Bulls survived two late surges by the Tamil Thalaivas to register a 40-34 victory in the vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 at the at the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi in Pune on Sunday. Raider Bharat (14 points) was exceptional for the Bulls, although the real difference was made by Neeraj Narwal and Saurabh Nandal’s defending in the final minutes of the game.
MATCH CENTRE
The Bulls, riding on consecutive SUPER RAIDS by Bharat inflicted the first ALL OUT on the Thalaivas within the first five minutes of the game. At that time, it seemed like the Bulls would dominate the entire game. However, the Thalaivas rallied together, their constant pressure and Narender’s constant raiding success keeping them in the game. In the final five minutes of the half though, not just wiping out the Bulls’ lead but also surging into one of their own. They went into halftime leading 19-18.
The capitulation stung the Bulls hard, and their second half performance was a reaction to that more than anything else. In a repeat of the first half, they inflicted a second ALL OUT on the Thalaivas early on, retaking a 28-25 lead. And yet again, the Thalaivas rallied.
The last five minutes were a blur of action. Much like the first half, the Thalaivas again applied all the pressure, as the Bulls fell apart. With another all out looming over them, Neeraj Narwal pulled off a SUPER TACKLE on Ajinkya Pawar to stem the bleeding. It was a tackle that not just ensured they stayed ahead on the board but also reignited them. Soon enough, they had achieved a great lead, winning in the end by a comfortable six point margin.
Award Winners of the Night:
Match 1: U Mumba vs Patna Pirates
vivo Perfect Player of the Match – Guman Singh (U Mumba)
Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match – Rinku (U Mumba)
Moment of the Match – Guman Singh (U Mumba)
Match 2: Tamil Thalaivas vs Bengaluru Bulls
vivo Perfect Player of the Match – Bharat (Bengaluru Bulls)
Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match – Saurabh Nandal (Bengaluru Bulls)
Moment of the Match – Saurabh Nandal (Bengaluru Bulls)
Tune In details (14/11/2022)
7:30 PM: Bengal Warriors vs Puneri Paltan
8:30 PM: Gujarat Giants vs Haryana Steelers
Venue: Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune
