The Tamil Thalaivas delivered an impressive all-around performance against the Puneri Paltan, securing a remarkable victory at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. The Tamil Thalaivas won the game with the scoreline at 35-30, ending the Puneri Paltans' 14-match unbeaten streak stretching to PKL season 10. In another clash, Amir Mohammad Zafardanesh delivered a strong performance for U Mumba as they triumphed over the Gujarat Giants, earning their first points of the season. U Mumba secured the win with a score of 33-27. Guman Singh, who contributed 3 points for the Gujarat Giants, was coincidentally part of the U Mumba team last year.
It was the Tamil Thalaivas who had the better of the early exchanges, as they raced into a 5-point lead within the first five minutes of the contest. Narender Kandola and Nitesh Kumar were doing most of the damage at this point. However, that’s when Mohit Goyat took charge, registering a flurry of quick points, helping the Puneri Paltan roar back into the contest.
As the half wore on, the Tamil Thalaivas continued to keep their opponents at bay. In the final phase of the half, Sachin inflicted an ALL OUT on the Puneri Paltan, which helped the Tamil Thalaivas extend their lead. Sachin and Narender Kandola were leading from the front for the Tamil Thalaivas, while it was Mohit Goyat, who was picking up the majority of the points for the defending champions. At the half-time break, the Tamil Thalaivas led the contest with a scoreline of 19-15.
The Tamil Thalaivas made a strong start to the second half, and had the momentum going their way in the first part of the second half. But the Puneri Paltan side weren’t making it easy for them, as the fought hard and clawed their way back into the contest. With the second half nearing the midway stage, the Tamil Thalaivas’ lead had been cut down to 4 points, and Mohit Goyat had completed his Super 10.
But with just over 10 minutes to go the Tamil Thalaivas inflicted another ALL OUT, extending the lead to an 8-point one. From then on in, the Tamil Thalaivas consolidated on their lead with Sachin playing a starring for his side. The Tamil Thalaivas did not let up their intensity in the final minutes and walked off with their second consecutive win of the season.
U Mumba vs Gujarat Giants
U Mumba picked up the first points of the game courtesy of Manjeet and Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, but from the very beginning, the Gujarat Giants were fighting hard to their opposition in check. After the first few minutes though, the U Mumba lead was wiped out, as Parteek Dahiya, Guman Singh and Jitender Yadav turned it around for the Gujarat Giants.
From the get go, the contest was a close one, with neither side willing to concede an inch to the other. For U Mumba, it was Manjeet who was leading the charge, and at the halfway stage of the first half, they led the contest with a 3-point lead. Himanshu then landed a Super Tackle for the Gujarat Giants to bring the contest back to level terms. At the end of the first half, U Mumba led 14-13.
Early in the second half, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh inflicted an ALL-OUT on the Gujarat Giants, and that gave them the early momentum. However, the Gujarat Giants weren’t throwing in the towel and were looking to mount a comeback. As the second half wore on, the U-Mumba side managed to keep their opponents at bay. With just under 10 minutes to go, the Gujarat Giants trailed by 5 points.
In the final phase of play, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh reached the 10-point mark for the game, as the U Mumba side began to consolidate on their lead. The Gujarat Giants were throwing the kitchen sink at the opposition, but it wasn’t to be. Eventually, U Mumba came away with the win.
