Two teams still in the Playoffs race played out a very close clash but it was UP Yoddhas who prevailed 30-27 over U Mumba in Match 114 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 at the Badminton Hall in the Balewadi Sports Complex here.
The raiding duo of Gagan Gowda and Bhavani Rajput ensured a Sunday night blockbuster as they led the charge in a win that took the UP Yoddhas to third on the points table.
The early stages of the game saw Manjeet making a strong start for U Mumba, successfully evading Ashu Singh and Mahender Singh and giving his team a 2-0 lead.
The momentum continued to shift between U Mumba and UP Yoddhas, with Bhavani Rajput executing a Do-Or-Die raid that dragged Lokesh Ghosliya to the midline.
Manjeet further demonstrated his raiding prowess by ousting Ashu Singh with a running hand touch in another Do-Or-Die raid. As the match progressed, Ajit Chouhan showed why he is this season’s best NYP with multiple raid points.
For the UP Yoddhas, Gagan Gowda’s raids were eventually thwarted by Rinku, while Hitesh and Bharat made crucial defensive plays. The game remained closely contested, with multiple-point exchanges from both sides.
Moments of individual brilliance, such as Ajit Chouhan’s escape from Sumit’s block and his subsequent toe touch on Bharat, kept the match exciting as the score read 12-13 in favour of the UP Yoddhas at the break.
The match was neck-to-neck to the very end. As the second half kicked off, Ajit Chouhan capitalized on Mahender Singh’s mistake to push through to the midline.
For UP Yoddhas, Bhavani Rajput and Gagan Gowda kept the Yoddhas in the race and took the lead in the 10th minute after Amirmohammad Zafardanesh stepped into the lobby. The ensuing confusion allowed Bhavani to touch Sunil Kumar as well, inflicting the first All-Out of the game on U Mumba.
Rohit Raghav emerged as a key player in the latter stages, executing a powerful two-point raid that sent Ashu Singh and Mahender Singh to the bench. Another important moment saw another All-Out caused by Keshav Kumar’s bonus and Rinku’s crucial tackle.
As the match came to a close, substitute Sahul Kumar’s crucial tackle on Rohit Raghav ensured that the UP Yoddhas took the all-important lead to secure a narrow two-point win over the U Mumba.
