Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 22 : The Tamil Thalaivas secured their eighth victory of the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season with a dominant performance against the Bengaluru Bulls, winning 42-32 at the Badminton Hall in the Balewadi Sports Complex on Sunday.
According to a PKL release, Himanshu achieved a Super 10 and received strong support from Moein Shafaghi as they triumphed over the bottom-placed team, despite Sushil's impressive 15-point contribution.
The match began cautiously, with neither team's raiders making a significant impact early on. Moein Shafaghi opened the scoring, while Parteek claimed the first tackle of the evening. The defences dominated the initial exchanges, with Amir Hossein Bastami joining the action with a solid tackle.
Sushil recorded the first successful raid for the Bengaluru Bulls, while Parteek made a strong start defensively. Amir Hossein Bastami responded with a tackle on a do-or-die raid, followed by a successful raid from Moein Shafaghi, levelling the score at 4-4. A Super Raid by Sushil gave the Bengaluru Bulls a three-point lead, but the Tamil Thalaivas fought back to lead 8-7 by the first timeout.
Moein Shafaghi continued his fine form in attack for the Tamil Thalaivas, matched by Sushil's efforts for the Bengaluru Bulls. A tackle by Nitin Rawal restored Bengaluru's lead, but a Super Tackle by Abhishek Manokaran brought the scores level at 12-12. The Tamil Thalaivas edged ahead by one point, leading 14-13 at the close of the first half.
The second half opened with Himanshu's raid, but Pardeep Narwal quickly equalised with a two-point raid. Sai Prasad restored Tamil Thalaivas' lead with a couple of successful raids, supported by Abhishek Manokaran's effective defence. A tackle by Aashish extended their advantage to four points.
Sushil kept Bengaluru in the game with a successful do-or-die raid, while Naveen contributed a Super Tackle to reduce the deficit to two points. However, Himanshu and Moein Shafaghi ensured the Tamil Thalaivas regained a four-point cushion, leading 23-19 as the game entered its final phase.
Amir Hossein Bastami spearheaded an all-out on the Bengaluru Bulls, widening the gap between the sides. Himanshu further extended the lead to 10 points with another Super Raid, leaving Bengaluru with just three players on the mat. Sushil showed resilience by completing his Super 10, but the Tamil Thalaivas inflicted another all-out to establish a 12-point advantage.
Moein Shafaghi surpassed 100 raid points for the season, and with five minutes remaining, the result seemed inevitable. Despite Pardeep Narwal's two-point raid and Sushil's continued efforts, the Tamil Thalaivas sealed a comprehensive victory. Himanshu capped off the match with 13 points, completing a Super 10 and delivering a commanding performance as his team triumphed 42-32.