New Delhi – On Saturday’s play‑in clash, the Patna Pirates swept the former champions U Mumba 40‑31, stopping them from advancing in PKL Season 12. The win was the Pirates’ sixth in six games, showing the team’s power on both the raid and tackle sides.
Ayan Lohchab delivered a 14‑point raid, but the Pirates’ defense was the real star. Navdeep Singh led with seven tackle points, while skipper Ankit Singh racked up four. The combination of a high‑scoring raid and a shut‑down defense kept the game within reach for the entire match.
From the first minute the score smacked back and forth. Ayan was hit early by Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, but U Mumba’s Sandeep replied with a touch on Deepak. The next few points saw two‑point raids from Milan Dahiya and a super raid that hit Ayan, Navdeep, and Balaji Donde. By the 10‑minute mark, the score was 10‑9 in favour of U Mumba.
The Pirates responded quickly. Ankit’s super tackle stopped Sandeep, and Navdeep’s follow‑up blocked Ajit Chouhan and got a second touch on Sandeep. A misstep from Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal widened the gap to four points. Ayan’s takedowns on Zafardanesh, Vijay Kumar and Deepak extended the lead to seven.
At the half‑time, U Mumba rattled back with a bonus point from Ajit Chouhan and another from Sandeep on Deepak, but the Pirates still led 20‑15. The second half kept the momentum with Ayan raking in a point on Parvesh and a two‑point raid that moved the score to 27‑21 after the third quarter.
With only three U Mumba players on the mat, the Pirates tightened their grip. Navdeep’s tackle of Sachin Narwal forced a reduction to two U Mumba players, while Ayan finished his “super 10” with a point on Lokesh Ghosliya. Navdeep then recorded a high‑five tackle on Satish Kannan, delivering another all‑out blow.
As U Mumba fought back, Rinku Khera tackled Ayan, and Ajit Chouhan earned a bonus point followed by a two‑point raid that cut the deficit to six. Lang looking for a last‑ditch attempt, Sudhakar Mehta brought the Pirates level with a touch point on Parvesh, but a quick raid by Ayan against Ajit turned the tables, and the Pirates closed out the match at 40‑31.
With this victory, Patna Pirates book a spot in Eliminator 1, where they will face the Jaipur Pink Panthers next. The win further cements the Pirates’ dominance in the Pro Kabaddi League, as they continue to challenge for the title in Season 12.
Source: ianslive
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