It was a contest that could have gone either way, but the Tamil Thalaivas eventually prevailed with a 35-29 win over the Bengaluru Bulls in a Season 12 match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Tuesday night.
Arjun Deshwal’s Super 10 and Narender Kandola’s five points cancelled out another Super 10 from Alireza Mirzaian, in what turned out to be an epic showdown in Rivalry Week of PKL 12. The Southern Derby between the Thalaivas and the Bulls got off to a fiery start, with both teams matching each other in intensity through the first 10 minutes.
Arjun set the tone for the Thalaivas with quick raids, supported by Ronak’s sharp tackles in defence, as they maintained a slender two-point lead. The Bulls, however, refused to back down, with Ahmad Reza Asgari and Alireza Mirzaian chipping in crucial points to keep their side in the contest.
Both teams showed urgency to grab control early, knowing how important a win would be in this Southern Derby. At the 10-minute mark, the Thalaivas held a narrow 9-7 advantage, but the intensity suggested the contest could swing either way.
The second phase of the first half saw the momentum swing decisively in the Bulls’ favour. Alireza’s sharp raids, including a game-changing All Out, turned the tide as the Bulls surged ahead with aggression.
Ganesha Hanamantagol chipped in with vital points, while Yogesh and Ahmad Reza stood firm in defence, leaving the Tamil Thalaivas struggling to keep pace. Despite Arjun’s efforts in attack and Narender Kandola’s early spark, the Thalaivas faltered under pressure as errors crept in and their raiders were neutralised.
By halftime, the Bulls had seized control with a commanding 20-14 lead, their aggressive playmaking marking the difference. Three quick points for the Thalaivas at the start of the second half looked to spark a comeback.
However, the Bulls quickly recovered from the mini blip, with Alireza continuing to take his chances and keeping his team in the lead. But as much as Alireza tried to steady the Bulls, Arjun rose to the occasion with a series of aggressive raids that reduced the opposition to just one player while also completing his Super 10.
The Thalaivas then inflicted an All Out just before the Time-Out, after Alireza was trapped by Nitesh Kumar, regaining the advantage in this topsy-turvy clash of Southern Titans. As the final quarter began, the defences took charge, with both teams pulling off successful tackles.
However, the raiders soon found their rhythm again, as Ahmad Reza picked up points for the Bulls before Arjun delivered in a Do-or-Die raid. With the closely-fought clash heading into its final minutes, the outcome remained on the edge.
Ganesha and Alireza chipped in with successful raids to cut the deficit to just three points. But Narender Kandola stepped up in defence, taking down Ganesha – the hero of the Bulls’ last win – in a decisive moment that ultimately sealed a six-point victory for the Thalaivas.