Sonu Jaglan emerged as the hero for the Gujarat Giants once again, leading them to a remarkable 39-37 victory over U Mumba at the EKA Arena by TransStadia on Tuesday. The win was even more special as it marked Fazel Atrachali's 100th game as captain for the Giants.
In the early minutes, the teams exchanged the lead, and a two-point raid by Guman Singh gave U Mumba a 7-5 advantage in the 5th minute. The Giants then introduced their key player, Sonu Jaglan, in the 7th minute, but he struggled initially. Rakesh HS stepped in, earning a bonus point and executing a running hand touch on Rinku Singh to give the Giants a narrow lead at 10-9.
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Nevertheless, a fantastic SUPER TACKLE from Mahender Singh allowed U Mumba to regain a 12-10 lead around the 11th minute. Their lead expanded to six points as Sonu was tackled in a do-or-die raid, and Guman secured another raid point.
As the first half was winding down, Fazel turned the tide with two remarkable plays. He outplayed U Mumba's captain Surinder Singh in a raid and followed it up with a SUPER TACKLE, bringing the Giants back into the game at 16-18 with five minutes left.
Sonu's first raid point early in the second half leveled the score for the Giants. From there, Sonu dominated, securing two crucial points by eliminating Rinku Singh and Mahender, reducing U Mumba to just one player. In the next raid, U Mumba faced an ALL OUT, and the Giants seized a 23-19 lead. Sonu's outstanding raiding, coupled with a strong defense, propelled the Giants to a 30-22 lead at the 30-minute mark.
Despite Guman's three consecutive successful attempts and quick raids from Iranian all-rounder Amirmohammad Zafardanesh and Pranay Rane, U Mumba closed in at 30-34. Zafardanesh made a significant move with less than two minutes left, getting past Fazel and Manuj to inflict an ALL OUT, leveling the score. However, in the final minute, Sonu stole the show with an impressive three-point SUPER RAID, securing the Giants' third consecutive win and marking his third consecutive SUPER 10.
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