The Bengaluru Bulls defeated the Haryana Steelers 40–33 thanks to an incredible display from Alireza Mirzaian, who scored his second consecutive Super 10, and a solid defensive effort from captain Yogesh and Deepak Sankar at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag on Monday.
Shivam Patare’s successful raid gave the Steelers the lead, but Alireza’s rapid goals gave the Bulls the victory. The Bulls applied intense pressure and executed an ALL OUT in the opening five minutes, soaring to a 9-2 lead at 4:20, the quickest ALL OUT of the season.
With a Super Raid to reduce the lead, Mayank Saini helped the Steelers regain their composure. Saini scored six of the team’s first eight points at that moment, assuming the majority of the load. The Bulls kept control, leading 13–8 at the first Time Out, despite his best efforts.
The Bulls maintained their lead after the break by playing excellent defense and adding two more points with a Super Tackle. But the Steelers came back strong, forcing an ALL OUT to cut the deficit to 15–13. The Bengaluru Bulls held their lead throughout the first half, making it difficult for the Steelers to keep up with them. The Bulls led by a slim margin of 21-18 at the half.
With a raid point secured by Aashish Malik and a deft tackle from Yogesh, the Bulls took a commanding lead into the second half, increasing it to 23–18. The Bulls appeared to be in command, but Jaya Soorya helped the Haryana Steelers rally. By scoring important points, his Super Raid closed the gap to 24–21.
But with Alireza leading from the front, the Bulls regained the momentum. He executed a successful raid that caused an ALL OUT, increasing the lead to 29–22. He quickly finished his Super 10 with another successful raid, increasing the lead to 31–23.
Yogesh’s reliability on defense made him stand out. Before the second-half time off, it was 32–24 after his high five and another point after his timely tackle.
The Steelers tried to rally, but Mirzaian kept scoring and grabbed two more points to make the score 34–25. The Bulls maintained their position after that, effectively controlling the lead and winning 40–33 to end the game.
