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The Tamil Thalaivas registered their third win of PKL Season 11, when they swatted away the challenge of the Gujarat Giants with utmost ease, at the GMCB Indoor Stadium, in Gachibowli, in Hyderabad, on Wednesday. The Tamil Thalaivas won the contest by a scoreline 44-25. For the Tamil Thalaivas, Narender Kandola scored 15 points while Sahil Gulia and Sachin added 5 each. For the Gujarat Giants, Guman Singh finished with 7 points on the day.
Tamil Thalaivas annihilate Gujarat Giants
It was a quick start from the Tamil Thalaivas, who picked up a slender 2-point lead within the first few minutes of the contest through Narender Kandola. But then, Guman Singh, who brought the Gujarat Giants back into it with a flurry of points for his side.
The contest wore a very fast paced look, with both sides looking to go for the kill from the beginning itself. And while Guman Singh and Himanshu Singh were calling the shots for the Gujarat Giants, it was Narender Kandola and Sachin had settled into a fantastic rhythm for the Tamil Thalaivas. At the midway point of the first half, the Gujarat Giants trailed by 2 points. As the half progressed, the Gujarat Giants kept up their fight, and stayed within touching distance of the Tamil Thalaivas. At the half-time break, the Tamil Thalaivas led 18-14.
The two sides made a cautious start after the break, especially in the initial minutes. However, shortly into the second half, Narender Kandola completed his Super 10 after which Sachin inflicted an ALL OUT on the Gujarat Giants, which put the Tamil Thalaivas in the box seat. At the half-hour mark, the Tamil Thalaivas had a 12-point lead and were looking dominant.
In the final phase of the contest, the Tamil Thalaivas kept the Gujarat Giants at bay with relative ease. For the Gujarat Giants, the situation got tougher as the clock moved towards the 40-minute mark. In the final minute, the Tamil Thalaivas inflicted another ALL OUT on the Gujarat Giants, and walked off the mat with a comfortable win.
All-Round show helps Haryana Steelers defeat UP Yoddhas
In the other match played at the same venue, Haryana Steelers registered their third consecutive win of this season, as they defeated UP Yoddhas in well contested tie. The Haryana Steelers pipped the UP Yoddhas with a scoreline of 30-28, with Vinay, Sanjay and Shivam Patare starring for them. While both teams began slowly but it was Haryana Steelers with the early advantage and within the first few minutes had their noses out in front. As always, the Haryana Steelers were solid in defence and had the better of the UP Yoddhas.
Midway through the first half, the Haryana Steelers led 5-1, however a Super Raid from Bharat put the UP Yoddhas in front with 9 minutes to go in the contest. From then on in, the Haryana Steelers took control of the game with defender Sanjay getting an early High 5, which helped his side storm into the lead. At the half-time break, the Haryana Steelers led by a scoreline of 11-9.
After the break, the UP Yoddhas fought back with Bhavani Rajput looking to up the ante for his side with a few quick raids in the first few minutes. The Haryana Steelers though bounced back right after, as Vinay, Naveen and Sanjay continued to put in solid individual performances. As the match reached the half-hour mark, the Haryana Steelers continued to be in the box seat.
In the final ten minutes, Vinay was approaching his Super 10 and with just over 5 minutes to go, Mohammadreza Shadloui inflicted an ALL OUT on the UP Yoddhas, which helped the Haryana Steelers extend their lead. However, in the final phase of play, the UP Yoddhas pulled out a trump card in Gagan Gowda, who scored 9 points in quick time, to bring his side right back into the contest. With 2 minutes to go, the Haryana Steelers led by 2 minutes and the match was on a knife edge. The Haryana Steelers though were too good for their opponents on the night, and they came away with the win in a closely fought match.
