It was all one-way traffic as the Tamil Thalaivas stormed past the Gujarat Giants, and registered a big win in Match 95 of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11, in the Badminton Hall at the Balewadi Sports Complex. The Tamil Thalaivas won the contest with a scoreline of 40-27, with Moein Shafaghi scoring 13 points, while Sourabh Fagare and Himanshu added 7 each. For the Gujarat Giants, Himanshu Singh finished with 11 points.
Tamil Thalaivas thrash Gujarat Giants
Both sides made a slow start to the contest, before the Tamil Thalaivas pulled away with a three-point lead within the first five minutes. Moein Shafaghi and Himanshu made important contributions for the Tamil Thalaivas, who were dominant in the early phase.
The Gujarat Giants’ defence was finding it tough while the Tamil Thalaivas were looking solid in that department. Midway through the first half, it was the Tamil Thalaivas who had the upper hand and the lead. As the half wore on, the Tamil Thalaivas continued to keep their opponents at bay and then Moein Shafaghi landed an ALL OUT on the Gujarat Giants as well, to stretch the lead to a 9-point one. The likes of Aashish, Moein Shafaghi and Himanshu were calling the shots for the Tamil Thalaivas, who went into the half-time break with the score at 19-8.
Early in the second half, Moein Shafaghi landed an ALL OUT on the Gujarat Giants, which further piled on the pressure. What wasn’t helping the Gujarat Giants was that along with Moein Shafaghi, the likes of Aashish and Himanshu picked up a flurry of points, which extended the lead to close to 20 points.
For the Gujarat Giants, Himanshu Singh was doing most of the heavy lifting, but didn’t find the support he would have hoped for. At the half-hour mark, the Gujarat Giants were trailing by 15 points, before Himanshu Singh inflicted an ALL OUT on the Tamil Thalaivas. Moments later, Moein Shafaghi went through the Gujarat Giants defence with a three-point raid, and also brought up his Super 10.
In the final phase of the game, the Gujarat Giants did their best to reduce the deficit, but the Tamil Thalaivas were having none of that. Eventually, the Tamil Thalaivas romped past their opponents to register a comprehensive win.
Showstoppers Shadloui, Shivam Patare help Haryana Steelers down Patna Pirates
Pune, 6 December, 2024: The Haryana Steelers and the Patna Pirates played out an action-packed and intense match on Friday evening, in the Badminton Hall, at the Balewadi Sports Complex. It was a match that saw plenty of raw emotions on display from both teams, but eventually, the Haryana Steelers came away with a 42-36 win. For the Haryana Steelers, Shivam Patare scored 11 points and Mohammadreza Shadloui bagged 9 points, while Sanjay registered an impressive High-5. In the opposite corner, Devank finished with 13 points, and also reached the 200-point mark in his 16th game of the season. Devank is also the current highest scoring raider of PKL Season 11.
The Haryana Steelers and the Patna Pirates have both been in fine form so far in the competition, and the two teams came out of the blocks with good pace, as they kept up with each other in the initial stages of the game. After that though, the Haryana Steelers started to get their act going with Shivam Patare and Mohammadreza Shadloui taking charge.
Midway through the first half, the three-time champions had a slender lead with the in-form Devank and Ankit scoring the majority of the points. As the half wore on, Devank, Navdeep and Ankit started to control proceedings for the Patna Pirates. With about five minutes left in the half, Devank inflicted an ALL OUT on the Haryana Steelers, and gave his side a 4-point advantage. At the half-time break, the Patna Pirates led 17-16.
Minutes into the second half, Devank notched up his 200th raid point, and was marching on towards yet another Super 10. Shivam Patare then responded with a Super Raid, and the Haryana Steelers’ defence followed it up with an ALL OUT on the Patna Pirates, bringing the difference between the two teams down to one-point.
The battle was starting to really heat up, as Devank came back with a three-point raid of his own, and in the process completed his 12th Super 10. After that Mohammadreza Shadloui’s Super Tackle helped him get to his High-5, after which the Haryana Steelers went through the gears, and took the lead. At the half-hour mark, the game was very much on a knife-edge, with both sets of players looking to go for the kill.
As the final ten minutes of play began, Shivam Patare wasted no time in completing his Super 10, as the Haryana Steelers raced into a 4-point lead, and wrestled away the momentum from their opponents. The Haryana Steelers then landed another ALL OUT with five minutes to go, and stretched their lead to 7 points.
On the home stretch, the Haryana Steelers picked up the pace, and drove home their advantage, to walk away with an outstanding win.
