Visakhapatnam, Aug 31 (IANS) Bengal Warriorz laid down an early marker as they opened their PKL 12 campaign with a fascinating 54-44 win against Haryana Steelers at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag on Sunday.

Devank Dalal wrapped up a dominant performance with 21 points while Manprit Pardeep scored 13 points and Ashish Malik registered a High Five. Shivam Patare and Vinay also notched up valiant Super 10s for the Haryana Steelers.

Bengal Warriorz came flying out of the blocks, opening their account with a tackle from Ashish Malik. Devank Dalal wasted no time to make his presence felt on the attacking end either, putting the Haryana Steelers under pressure in the early stages.

Shivam Patare single-handedly ensured that the Haryana Steelers stayed in the game as they closed the gap to two-points courtesy a Super Tackle from Neeraj. However, the Season 7 champions opened up a seven-point lead with the score at 18-11, after a tackle from Mayur Kadam inflicted an ALL OUT on the defending champions.

14 out of the 19 first-half points for Haryana Steelers were scored by Shivam Patare as he completed his Super 10. Despite his best efforts, Bengal Warriorz held the lead with the score at 23-19, as Devank Dalal continued to dominate and racked up his first Super 10 of the season.

The defending champions roared back in the second half with Vinay leading the way on the offensive end. A brilliant tackle from Rahul Sethpal helped Haryana Steelers register an ALL OUT before a raid from Shivam Patare levelled the scores.

However, in the blink of an eye, Bengal Warriorz regained their four-point lead courtesy a Super Raid from Manprit Pardeep as became the second player to register a Super 10 for his side. His team remained relentless in their pursuit, inflicting a second ALL OUT on Haryana Steelers and extending their lead to seven points.

With over 10 minutes to go, Bengal Warriorz were cruising with eleven-point lead courtesy a sensational four-point Super Raid from Devank Dalal. They inflicted a third ALL OUT on the defending champions and put themselves in an unassailable position, crossing the 50-point mark with five minutes remaining in the game.

The thrill-a-minute game also witnessed history, as the only Do-Or-Die raid of the match came in the final minute. With that dominant performance, Bengal Warriorz captain Devank Dalal made a statement, giving a glimpse into the kind of aggressive kabaddi that can be expected from his team.

–IANS

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