PKL: UP Yoddhas beat Haryana Steelers; Jaipur Pink Panthers’ playoff hopes alive

The UP Yoddhas secured another important win to keep their playoff hopes alive as they beat Haryana Steelers 31-24 at the Badminton Hall in the Balewadi Sports Complex on Tuesday.

Bhavani Rajput was the man-of-the-hour with his 11 points as the team coached by Jasveer Singh moved to third on the points table, staying unbeaten in their seventh straight match.

The Haryana Steelers started on a very impressive manner after Vinay was successful in a Do-Or-Die raid to get Sumit and Mahender Singh.

But the UP Yoddhas entered the fray after Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi tackled Shivam Patare and then Bhavani Rajput got Sanjay while Mohammadreza Shadloui stepped out of the end line, as the UP Yoddhas equalled the score.

A tackle on Vinay meant that the Haryana Steeler were left with just Jaideep Dahiya and Rahul Sethpal on the mat. But they won a very impressive Super Tackle to send Bhavani Rajput off the mat and kept the pressure on their opponents.

The first half was a closely contested affair, with both teams displaying exceptional skill and strategy. The game-changing moment came when Bhavani Rajput executed a spectacular Super Raid, escaping multiple tackles and ultimately leading to an ALL OUT that levelled the scores.

Vishal Tate and Shivam Patare made significant contributions for Haryana Steelers, while Bharat Hooda and young Sahil tried to keep UP Yoddhas in the contest. At the half-time break, UP Yoddhas held a slim 15-13 lead, setting the stage for an electrifying second half.

A shift in momentum saw that UP Yoddhas nullify the threat of the table toppers. In the third quarter of the clash, the Haryana Steelers were restricted to just three points in comparison to the 11 points scored by the UP Yoddhas. This was courtesy another ALL OUT by Bhavani Rajput, who got N Manikandan and Rahul to dismantle the Haryana Steelers.

Bhavani then brought up his Super 10 in style after getting Mohammadreza Shadloui and Rahul Sethpal off the mat. It was enough to give their team an unassailable lead, as they took one step closer to a place in the playoffs. For the Haryana Steelers, their semi-final aspirations had to take a back step as they suffered a second-straight defeat, this time by 7 points.

Pink Panthers secure important win

Jaipur Pink Panthers secured an important win against Bengaluru Bulls to keep their playoff hopes alive, winning 35-26. Arjun Deshwal carried on his sensational run of form with a massive 17-point game, giving his side their third consecutive win as the battle for the playoff heats up. The win moves the Jaipur Pink Panthers up to fifth on the points table, while Arjun Deshwal has also achieved the 200-raid points milestone in the season.

It was an action-packed start to the game as the raiders, Pardeep Narwal and Arjun Deshwal wasted no time to get their respective sides on the board. The latter ensured that Jaipur Pink Panthers took the lead with his two-point raid, as he did most of the heavy lifting for his side on the attacking end in the early exchanges.

Ajinkya Pawar helped Bengaluru Bulls stay within striking distance with his raiding efficiency on the mat. With the tempo of the game intensifying, there were only two points separating the two sides after 10 minutes, with the score at 7-9. Nitin Rawal got himself into the mix to help his side close the gap and level the score at 10-10 before Jaipur Pink Panthers quickly regained their two-point lead.

To close out the first half, the two teams resorted to the Do-Or-Die strategy, which helped the season 10 champions drive home the advantage. With Arjun Deshwal continuing to do what he does best, the Jaipur Pink Panthers further increased their lead to four points, closing out the first half with the scoreline at 15-11.

Bengaluru Bulls roared right back at the start of the second half with Arulnanthababu getting a Super Tackle on Neeraj Narwal. Alongside Ajinkya Pawar, he then helped his side level the score at 15-15 with a crucial tackle on Arjun Deshwal. The trend of Do-Or-Die Raids carried on in the second half too, with neither team keen to give an inch.

The raid machine, Arjun Deshwal completed another Super 10, executing a stunning Super Raid to give his side a four-point lead as the game entered its final phase. To make matters worse for Bengaluru Bulls at that point, Jaipur Pink Panthers inflicted an ALL OUT to extend their lead to seven points.

With momentum on their side, Jaipur Pink Panthers piled on the misery on their opposition. With under two minutes remaining, Bengaluru Bulls had something to smile about as Arulnanthababu showed some character with another Super Tackle, completing his High 5. However, it was nowhere near enough for them to rescue something from the game as Jaipur Pink Panthers completed a 35-26 victory, moving to fifth place in the points table.