New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) Patna Pirates prevailed in a high-scoring encounter against Bengal Warriorz, prevailing 51-49 in Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Friday. The match saw a total of 100 points scored (the most this season), and also witnessed marquee raiders – Ayan and Devank – score 20+ points each, making this the third time in PKL history when two raiders have scored 20+ points in the same match.

Ayan Lohchab scored 27 points, the most points scored by a player this season, outshining Devank Dalal, who scored 25 and also amassed 250 raid points this season. This is also the fourth time the Bengal Warriorz captain scored 20+ points in a game this season. Substitute Milan Dahiya also made a crucial contribution for the Pirates with four points to his name.

It was a fast start from the main raiders as Devank and Ayan opened the scoring for their respective sides. It didn’t take long for the Pirates to get their noses in front with a tackle from Balaji D and a two-point raid from Ankit Rana. A Super Tackle kept the Warriorz in contention, but Ayan eventually punished them with the first All Out of the game, giving Pirates a seven-point lead.

Bengal Warriorz struck back with Devank and Himanshu Narwal keeping the scoreboard ticking on the raiding end, while Parteek also chipped in with a tackle. However, it was soon turning into the Devank-Ayan battle with both raiders doing what they do best. A tackle from Ankit on Ayan gave the Warriorz a slight breather, cutting the deficit to four points.

The Season 7 champions roared back as Himanshu Narwal got the ball rolling with a two-point raid. A tackle from Ashish Malik, and a multi-point raid from Devank enabled his side to execute their first All Out, and take the lead. The captain also completed his 15th consecutive Super 10 in the process, closing an action-packed first half with a 26-23 lead.

Ayan and Ankit Rana did their best to try and force a comeback for their side, but a flurry of Super Tackles from Bengal Warriorz put them in the driver’s seat. Ankit bagged a couple of Super Tackles to extend their team’s lead to six points, and Ashish Malik also contributed to the cause. Manjeet then added a fourth Super Tackle to that tally, giving the Warriorz a nine-point lead with ten minutes to go.

However, the Pirates weren’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. A two-point raid from Milan Dahiya and an important tackle by Ankit Jaglan gave them an opportunity for an All Out. That was graciously accepted by Ayan, bringing it down to a four-point game with seven minutes to play.

Milan Dahiya had the most crucial contribution of the game, securing an All Out to give the Patna Pirates a one-point lead. Ayan then struck with a clutch Super Raid, giving his side a four-point lead with under two minutes to go.

With the game heading down to the wire, Devank kept his team in the hunt with a couple of points. He brought it back down to a one-point game, forcing a Do-Or-Die Raid for Ayan on the final raid. Unfortunately for the Warriorz captain, his error proved to be costly as he attempted to tackle his former teammate, giving away the match-winning raid point to Ayan and handing Patna Pirates a narrow two-point win.

–IANS

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