Chennai, Oct 5 (IANS) Bharat Hooda produced a Super 10 and Shubham Shinde contributed a High Five even as Telugu Titans had to dig deep to cling onto a 40-35 win against the UP Yoddhas in a Season 12 match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday night.

This was Titan’s fourth win on the trot, which was made possible by vital contributions from Vijay Malik, who scored nine points, and Praful Zaware’s crucial four-point cameo.

Bharat Hooda recorded 100 raid points in PKL 12, while also amassing 700 points in the league. Meanwhile, his captain, Vijay Malik, also completed 100 raid points this season. For UP Yoddhas, Bhavani Rajput recorded his career-best performance, scoring a Super 10 with 16 points, while Guman Singh chipped in with 8 points.

Both teams began this contest as they meant business, wasting no time to set the tone for an aggressive game. Vijay Malik opened the scoring with a multi-point raid, doing the heavy lifting for his side before Bharat Hooda took over. For UP Yoddhas, Bhavani Rajput was on a roll, scoring five points in as many minutes, keeping the two teams neck and neck.

Slowly but steadily, Telugu Titans opened up a five-point lead with a Super Tackle by Chetan Sahu, followed by a tackle from Shubham Shinde. Bharat Hooda kept his foot on the pedal, ensuring his side held a steady lead. However, Guman Singh made an impact for his team, cutting the deficit down to two points with a score of 13-10 after the opening ten minutes.

The raider then inflicted the first All Out of the game, giving Telugu Titans a six-point lead. Bharat Hooda further extended that lead to nine points with a successful Do-Or-Die Raid, but Bhavani Rajput responded on his own Do-Or-Die Raid to keep his team in the hunt.

Gagan Gowda got his first points on the board, and Hitesh also registered his first tackle off the bench, supporting Bhavani Rajput, who had nine points in the first half. Bharat Hooda matched that output for the Telugu Titans, along with Vijay Malik, also contributing with six points to ensure that the Titans have a 22-16 lead at halftime.

With the first raid of the second half, Bhavani Rajput completed his Super 10 on the night. Vijay Malik and Bhavani Rajput exchanged blows on their respective Do-Or-Die Raids, with Telugu Titans holding onto their lead. A Super Tackle from Ajit Pawar was followed by Bharat Hooda’s Super 10, keeping their side in control. The latter also recorded 700 raid points in the PKL with his performance on the night.

However, UP Yoddhas quickly closed the gap to three points by inflicting an All Out on their opponents. Guman Singh continued to make an impact off the bench, with Bhavani Rajput also proving to be a thorn in the Titans’ side, cutting the lead down to 30-27 with under ten minutes to go.

With the momentum on their side, the Yoddhas continued to threaten with Bhavani Rajput leading the charge, while Gagan Gowda also helped out on the defensive end. Unfortunately for them, the Titans shut the door with a Super Tackle by Shubham Shinde, holding onto a 33-29 lead. He followed it up with another crucial Super Tackle, ensuring his team had a three-point lead with under three minutes to go.

With his raiding prowess, Bhavani Rajput kept UP Yoddhas in the game, but the Telugu Titans found an unlikely hero in Praful Zaware, who ensured his side had their noses in front with a couple of critical raids while being the last man on the mat for his team. With the clock running down, his four points proved to be essential in the end, and Bharat Hooda added the finishing touches to the game, ensuring Telugu Titans cling onto a 40-35 win in a high-scoring encounter.

–IANS

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