Pro Kabaddi League: Bengaluru Bulls survive late Thalaivas surge to win 40-34

Pune, November 14, 2022

Bengaluru Bulls survived two late surges by the Tamil Thalaivas to register a 40-34 victory in the vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 at the at the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi in Pune on Sunday.

Raider Bharat (14 points) was exceptional for the Bulls, although the real difference was made by Neeraj Narwal and Saurabh Nandal's defending in the final minutes of the game.

The Bulls, riding on consecutive super raids by Bharat inflicted the first all out on the Thalaivas within the first five minutes of the game. At that time, it seemed like the Bulls would dominate the entire game.

However, the Thalaivas rallied together, their constant pressure and Narender's constant raiding success keeping them in the game. In the final five minutes of the half though, they not just wiped out the Bulls' lead but also surged into one of their own. They went into half-time leading 19-18.

The capitulation stung the Bulls hard, and their second half performance was a reaction to that more than anything else. In a repeat of the first half, they inflicted a second all out on the Thalaivas early on, retaking a 28-25 lead. And yet again, the Thalaivas rallied.

The last five minutes were a blur of action. Much like the first half, the Thalaivas again applied all the pressure, as the Bulls fell apart. With another all out looming over them, Neeraj Narwal pulled off a super tackle on Ajinkya Pawar to stem the bleeding. It was a tackle that not just ensured they stayed ahead on the board but also reignited them.

Soon enough, they had achieved a great lead, winning in the end by a comfortable six point margin.

Award Winners of the Night:

Match 1: U Mumba vs Patna Pirates

vivo Perfect Player of the Match - Guman Singh (U Mumba)

Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match - Rinku (U Mumba)

Moment of the Match - Guman Singh (U Mumba)

Match 2: Tamil Thalaivas vs Bengaluru Bulls

vivo Perfect Player of the Match - Bharat (Bengaluru Bulls)

Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match - Saurabh Nandal (Bengaluru Bulls)

Moment of the Match - Saurabh Nandal (Bengaluru Bulls)

Monday's matches:

7:30 PM: Bengal Warriors vs Puneri Paltan

8:30 PM: Gujarat Giants vs Haryana Steelers

Venue: Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune

All the matches can be watched live on Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar

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