Visakhapatnam, Aug 30
U Mumba opened their Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 campaign with a thrilling victory against the Gujarat Giants in the second tie-breaker of the season. The two teams were locked 29-29 at the end of regulation time before the Season 2 champions secured a 6-5 win in the tie-breaker at the Vishwanadh Sports Club here on Saturday.
Lokesh Ghosliya and Rohit Raghav registered four tackle points each, while Ajit Chouhan led the raiding unit with five raid points. Anil and Sandeep Kumar made timely contributions with three raid points each, while Sunil Kumar came in clutch to help U Mumba secure a hard-fought win.
Both teams hit the ground running in the opening exchanges before the defensive units took over. Ajit Chouhan opened the scoring for U Mumba, while Himanshu Singh did the same for Gujarat Giants. Shubham Kumar then delivered the first big blow with a tackle on Ajit Chouhan, but the U Mumba defence responded instantly.
Lokesh Ghosliya and Mohammadreza Shadloui registered early tackles as both defensive units stayed in control. After the first timeout, U Mumba held a one-point lead with the score at 7-6. However, Gujarat Giants stormed back to take a four-point lead, inflicting an All Out before Himanshu Singh scored with a double-raid.
A late surge from the U Mumba defenders helped them close the gap in the closing stages of the first half. Lokesh Ghosliya notched up his fourth tackle with a Super Tackle, helping his side bring it down to a one-point game, with the scoreline at 16-15 in Gujarat Giants’ favour.
Rohit Raghav opened the scoring in the second half to bring his team back on level terms, but Gujarat Giants remained relentless on both ends. Mohammadreza Shadloui scored his first raid point and was supported by Harish Kamatchi, who contributed on both ends to make it a three-point game.
U Mumba stayed within striking distance courtesy of their defensive work and eventually got their noses in front with a one-point lead after a couple of Super Tackles. They continued that momentum with Anil Mohan registering some crucial points, while Ajit Chouhan contributed on the defensive end. Parvesh Bhainswal also registered his 350th tackle in the PKL, keeping his team’s lead intact.
In the blink of an eye, U Mumba’s three-point lead was wiped out by a Super Raid from Himanshu Singh, levelling the scores at 27-27. With frantic action on both ends of the mat, the teams were tied at 29-29 after 40 minutes, forcing a second tie-breaker in as many days in PKL12.
- IANS
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