The Bengaluru Bulls put on a superb show to win against the UP Yoddhas by a scoreline of 38-35 in a high-pressure game in Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday. The crucial win saw the Bulls qualify for the playoffs.
The Bengaluru Bulls trio of Bharat (8 points), Vikash Kandola (6 points) and Neeraj Narwal (5 points) did enough to get their team over the line and into the playoffs.
In the day’s other match, U Mumba held a massive lead in the first half, but the Gujarat Giants forged an emphatic comeback to win 38-36. Parteek Dahiya emerged as the best player for Gujarat with 13 points in the match.
Bulls and Yoddhas went into the game with the knowledge that a win would see them qualify for the playoffs, and in the early stages, there was little to separate them. Soon, though, Bharat’s influence on the game grew and the UP Yoddhas, reduced in number, stared at an All Out. Two consecutive Super Tackles by Gurdeep, the second on Bharat, delayed the outcome. But eventually the Bengaluru Bulls inflicted the first All Out of the game to take a slender 13-10 lead.
The Bengaluru Bulls kept the pressure up to increase their lead by two more points, capitalising on some errors by the UP Yoddhas defense to go into half-time holding a 19-14 lead.
The Bengaluru Bulls carried the first half momentum into the early part of the second period, and soon enough inflicted a second All Out on the UP Yoddhas to surge into a 10-point lead. With Bharat and Neeraj Narwal prolific on the raid, and Saurabh Nandal keeping the defense tight, it looked like they had locked up a victory.
With five minutes to go the Bengaluru Bulls defense suddenly started leaking points and they were soon staring at an all out themselves, with the UP Yoddhas eyeing a comeback. A Super Tackle by Mahender Singh on Pardeep Narwal stemmed the flow and kept the UP Yoddhas at bay.
That was enough as the Bengaluru Bulls held on despite a late all out by the UP Yoddhas, to clinch a deserving victory.
End of the day, UP Yoddhas to clinched a playoffs spot with four out of six teams now decided.
Matches on 5 December:
7:30 PM: Puneri Paltan vs Patna Pirates
8:30 PM: Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Haryana Steelers
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