UP Yoddhas edged past the Bengaluru Bulls by 6-5 in the tie-breaker after the game rounded off 36-36 in regulation time in a Season 12 clash of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium on Thursday.
In a remarkable demonstration of nerves and grit, the Yoddhas channelled their warrior spirit to bag their second win on a trot, a result that truly capped off their Jaipur leg of the tournament on a resounding high.
Bhavani Rajput topped the points for UP, bagging 10 of them, as he was ably supported by the likes of Gagan Gowda (6), Sumit Sangwan (4), Ashu Singh (4), and Guman Singh (3). There have been phases in this tournament when the Yoddhas have shown flashes of brilliance in their offensive and defensive departments separately.
Thursday night’s encounter saw them strike a fine, cohesive balance, as the two units struck fear within the Bulls’ ranks. The game was hanging right in balance in the first half, with the Bulls leading narrowly by 20-19.
However, the Yoddhas re-gathered to instil impressive dynamism in their gameplay in the closing essay of the encounter. They garnered 17 points in the next 20 minutes, powered by seven tackles and two all-out points, enabling them to find an incisive distinguishing factor in a closely fought clash.
The UP Yoddhas secured a 44.68% raid strike rate, 38.3% raid success rate, alongside one Super Raid. Defensively, their 42.86% tackle success rate far exceeded the 36.67% recorded by their opponents.They also had 12 successful tackles to their name.
Having begun the season on a strong defensive note, the Yoddhas regained that momentum to rediscover their winning touch and head into the Chennai leg of the season with their heads held high in confidence.UP Yoddhas will next face the Gujarat Giants on September 29 in New Delhi, whereas Bengaluru Bulls will clash with the Puneri Paltan on October 2.