FT: MUM 46-38 HAR


U Mumba are through to the semi-finals! Thoroughly a dominant performance from the Mumbai side. Arjun Deshwal (15) and Abhishek Singh (16) star of the show with Super 10s. Their first semi-final appearance since season three.

39’ MUM 46-34 HAR

This is bit of a carnage. U Mumba players are enjoying themselves on the mat now. Fazel Atrachali with a strong tackle

38’ MUM 45-34 HAR


Vikas Khandola goes now. U Mumba are running away with this.

37’ MUM 43-34 HAR

U Mumba are closing on a place in the semi-finals. Prashanth Rai is sent on the bench and that could be curtains for the Steelers

35’ MUM 41-33 HAR

ABHISHEK SINGH! The U Mumba raider lifts the pressure on the team with a two-point raid. The deficit back to eight points now

33’ MUM 38-30 HAR

ALL OUT! Steelers are back in it with eight minutes left

30’ MUM 36-26 HAR

U Mumba down to two men. Haryana Steelers mounting a bit of a comeback here

28’ MUM 36-22 HAR

SUPER RAID! Four points from Abhishek Singh as he brings up his super 10. Haryana Steelers are sinking here


26’ MUM 32-21 HAR

ALL OUT! Haryana in deep trouble here as U Mumba stretch the lead to eleven points. Rakesh Kumar needs to inspire his boys here

24’ MUM 28-20 HAR


ARJUN DESHWAL! Remember the name. Another two-point raid for the youngster. U Mumba now lead by eight points

22’ MUM 23-16 HAR

A point each to start the second half. Haryana need to tighten their defence if they are to make a comeback in this one

HT: MUM 22-15 HAR

ALL OUT!
Haryana Steelers are cleaned up and Arjun Deshwal picks up two point in the buzzer raid of the half to open up a seven-point raid. Big advantage for U Mumba at the break

19’ MUM 17-14 HAR

Vikas Khandola avoids the all-out for Haryana Steelers but Abhishek Singh brings Haryana down to one man again

17’ MUM 14-11 HAR

Arjun Deshwal pulling U Mumba clear here and Haryana down to just three men

14’ MUM 12-11 HAR

Arjun Deshwal gets rid of Sunil and U Mumba are in the lead now

11’ MUM 9-10 HAR

Close affair from the start. Raiders of both teams trading blows

10’ MUM 6-9 HAR

TWO-POINT RAID! Almost a repeat. This time it’s Vikas Khandola. Sandeep Narwal and Surender go to the bench again!

5’ MUM 5-7 HAR

TWO-POINT RAID! Vinay now with a super raid. Sandeep Narwal and Surender go to the bench!

2’ MUM 3-4 HAR

SUPER RAID! Prashanth Rai with an explosive start to the game! He has been a thorn in Fazel Atrachali’s flesh

1’ MUM 0-1 HAR


Vikas Khandola begins proceedings with a bonus point!

Don’t go away! U Mumba vs Haryana Steelers is up next!

End of ET: UP 45 - 48 BEN


PAWAN SEHRAWAT WINS IT FOR THE CHAMPIONS! 25 points from their star man who single-handedly wins it for the Bulls. Take a bow, Pawan Sehrawat!

ET 46’: UP 42-47 BEN

ALL OUT! Bulls now five points ahead. UP Yoddha now need a miracle in the 90 seconds that remain

ET 46’: UP 40-43 BEN

FOUR POINT RAID! Pawan Sehrawat surely wins it now for the Bulls. UP down to just one man.

ET 45’: UP 40-39 BEN

Just one point separates the two teams with two minutes to go

Half-time in ET 43’: UP 39-38 BEN


Pawan back on the match, UP’s two best raiders on the bench. Can Bengaluru snatch the initiative back?

ET 43’: UP 39-36 BEN


Rohit Kumar on the bench now. UP stretch lead to three points. Big opportunity for UP to wrap this up

Scenarios

ET 41: UP 38-36 BEN


What a start for UP!
Rishank Devadiga with two points in the first raid of ET and he sends Pawan to the bench! Wow

FT: UP 36-36 BEN

IT’s A TIE! The game goes into extra time after Surender Gill holds his nerve to get the crucial point in the last raid. There will be two halves of three minutes

39’ UP 35-36 BEN

ONE MINUTE TO GO! Anybody’s game this!

39’ UP 34-36 BEN

BULLS IN THE LEAD! Pawan picks up another two points.

38’ UP 34-33 BEN

ALL OUT! Pawan cleans up UP and Bulls are back in it

37’ UP 34-27 BEN

SHRIKANTH JADHAV GETS TWO! A big effort in do-or-die raid and UP back to five men. Bulls may have missed their chance there

36’ UP 32-26 BEN

Sumit revives Pawan! UP are down to three men again. Bulls have a chance to get back in the game with an all-out

33’ UP 31-25 BEN

ANOTHER SUPER TACKLE! Nitesh Kumar sends Pawan Sehrawat to the bench and UP avoid the all-out again. Big effort this from UP

30’ UP 28-24 BEN

SUPER TACKLE! Pawan on the bench and UP avoid an all-out. Monu Goyat of all people with the super tackle

30’ UP 25-24 BEN

UP in trouble and down to just two men. Monu Goyat is on for UP now. Can he help UP save the all aout?

24’ UP 23-20 BEN

Pawan Sehrawat picks up two points but steps out himself to go out. Early respite for UP despite losing two points

24’ UP 24-20 BEN

Pawan on the bench again! UP getting their act together again. Bengaluru down to four men.

24’ UP 23-20 BEN

Pawan Sehrawat picks up two points but steps out himself to go out. Early respite for UP despite losing two points

HT stats

HT: UP 20-17 BEN

What a half of kabaddi! UP Yoddha pulled clear after dominating Pawan Sehrawat in the early exchanges but the league’s top raider hit back with a super raid. It’s just a three-point game at the break.

19’ UP 19-15 BEN

ALL OUT! UP Yoddha have been cleaned up by Pawan Sehrawat after returning to the mat. The Bulls are back in the game. What an effort from Pawan to get away from that tackle

18’ UP 19-10 BEN


SUPER TACKLE! Pawan sent to the bench by the two men of UP Yoddha and they have avoided the all-out. The lead back to nine points

15’ UP 15-9 BEN


PAWAN BACK ON THE MAT AND PAWAN GETS A SUPER RAID! The champions has arrived. A four-point raid and the Bulls are back in business. Huge moment in the match

11’ UP 14-4 BEN


NITESH GETS PAWAN! Bulls are in trouble here after seeing Pawan sent to the bench again. They are also leaking points in defence. No tackle points for the Bulls so far.

8’ UP 11-4 BEN

ALL OUT! UP Yoddha have made a statement early on in the game. They have kept Pawan Sehrawat quiet and the Bulls have come unstuck

5’ UP 6-2 BEN

Pawan on the bench! That UP defence at it again. Meanwhile the Bulls have been leaking points at the other end. The defending champions down to just three men. Great start for UP

1’ UP 1-0 BEN

Rishank Devadiga with the first raid of the game and he picks up a bonus point. Pawan Sehrawat somes for the Bulls but goes back with an empty raid.

7:28 pm: Can UP break the jinx?

UP Yoddha are the only team in Pro Kabaddi to have qualified for the playoffs in each of their campaigns but have never won the title. Can they take a step towards the title by beating the defending champions?

7:25 pm: UP Yoddha have upper hand

UP Yoddha have beaten Bengaluru Bulls in both their games this season, with the latest one coming on Friday in the final game of the league phase.

Pawan Sehrawat has a farly poor record when against Nitesh Kumar who has tackled him 13 times while Sehrawat has only managed to get Nitesh out seven times.


UP Yoddha's Sumit (L) and Nitesh (R)

7:10 pm: A special day for Adampur Dadhi

Four players in the two teams hail from a small town in Haryana called Admapur Dadhi. Up Yoddha’s Nitesh Kumar and Sumit Sangwan and Bengaluru Bulls’ Amit Sheoran and Ashish Sangwan

Three out of those four players start tonight with Ashish Sangwan who is the brother of UP Yoddha’s Sumit on the Bulls’ bench.

Read our piece on how UP Yoddha have benefited from Nitesh Kumar and Sumit Sangwan’s childhood friendship.

7:00 pm: TEAM NEWS!

UP Yoddha starting seven: Nitesh Kumar (C), Shrikanth Jadhav, Ashu Singh, Surender Gill, Amit, Rishank Devadiga, Sumit Sangwan

Bengaluru Bulls starting seven: Pawan Sehrawat (C), Saurabh Nandal, Sumit Singh, Mahender Dhaka, Ankit, Mohit Sehrawat, Amit Sheoran

The seventh season of Pro Kabaddi enters its final stretch as UP Yoddha take on Bengaluru Bulls before U Mumba face Haryana Steelers in the eliminators. The two winners will progress to the semi-finals on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of the semi-finals, UP Yoddha captain Nitesh Kumar said the team will take confidence from their twin wins over Bengaluru Bulls in the league phase.

“It gets harder now as one mistake and we are out. The team has worked and prepared hard to ensure that we give our best against a offensively strong Bengaluru Bulls team.

During the league stage, we won both games against Bengaluru Bulls which helps our confidence but this one is going to be the toughest and a win will take us into the semi-finals.” he said.

Haryana Steelers and U Mumba have won a game each against each other and it is all to play for in their eliminator. U Mumba captain Fazel Atrachali wants his team to be more alert than ever in their match against the Steelers.

“During the league stage, if we lose one match, we know we have a chance to go back and work on our mistakes to improve. Tomorrow’s match is a Do-or-Die situation, if we lose, our season is over and we go back home. Haryana is a strong team and they too will come with a plan to limit us but as a team we are confident and are taking one step at a time. We will give our 100% and aim to win the match,” said the Iranian.

The winner of UP Yoddha-Bengaluru Bulls clash will face Dabang Delhi in the semis while winner of U Mumba’a match against the Haryana Steelers will take on Bengal Warriors in the last-four stage.