Chennai, Sep 30 (IANS) The Telugu Titans registered a memorable win over the Patna Pirates in Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday, riding on a brilliant performance from Vijay Malik.

Malik was unstoppable on the night, scoring a Super 10 and thus helping the Telugu Titans to their third win in a row, which has helped them move into the top three.

Patna Pirates’ Ayan Lohchab also shone with a Super 10 of his own, keeping his side in the contest with some fine raids. However, his efforts were not enough as the Titans played a strong all-round game and held their nerve in the crucial moments to secure the victory.

The Telugu Titans opened the game in style, with Avi Duhan pulling off a brilliant Super Tackle to get the first points on the board. Soon after, Vijay Malik added to the tally with a successful raid, giving the Titans a 2-0 lead.

However, the Patna Pirates struck back quickly as Ayan completed a fine raid to put his team on the scoreboard. The Titans, though, showed good determination and continued to push ahead, building a 3-point lead within the first six minutes of play.

The Pirates worked hard to close the gap and managed to bring the score down to 8-7, but the Titans still held a narrow one-point advantage when the first-half Strategic Time Out was called.

The Telugu Titans carried their momentum after play resumed, stretching their lead to 10-7 with strong contributions from both raiders and defenders. The Patna Pirates, however, fought back as Sudhakar M. completed a successful raid to reduce the gap to 10-8.

Moments later, Ayan turned the game in the Pirates’ favour with a brilliant Super Raid, collecting crucial points to give his team a 10-11 lead. From there, the contest turned into a close battle, with both sides exchanging points and refusing to let the other gain control.

By the end of the first half, the Patna Pirates had managed to stay slightly ahead, leading 15-16. Ayan’s outstanding performance stood out as the key factor for the Pirates in the opening half.

The Patna Pirates started the second half with a strong tackle from Balaji D, adding another point to move 15-17 ahead. But the Telugu Titans responded immediately, as Shubham Shinde produced a brilliant Super Tackle to collect two points and level the score once again.

Building on that momentum, the Titans grabbed control of the game. With sharp raids and solid defending, they edged ahead 22-20 with more than 13 minutes still left on the clock. The Titans continued their all-round show, stretching their advantage further to 24-20 just before the Strategic Time Out was taken in the second half.

Telugu Titans’ Bharat stepped up in style, pulling off a successful raid to add another point to the board. Riding on that momentum, the Titans inflicted an All Out on the Patna Pirates, racing ahead to a commanding 29-21 lead.

The Titans kept their foot on the pedal, widening the gap to 10 points with strong all-round play. A solid tackle from Ankit further extended their advantage, making it 33-22. Though the Pirates tried to fight back and picked up a few points, the Titans held firm, keeping the score at 34-26 with just over 40 seconds remaining.

As the clock ticked down, Vijay Malik produced a stunning Super Raid in the final moments, pushing the score to 37-27. The Telugu Titans finished the match in style, sealing a convincing 37-28 victory.

–IANS

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