Bengal Warriorz set the tone early in their PKL 12 campaign on Sunday at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag, defeating Haryana Steelers in an exciting 54-44 victory.
With 21 points, Devank Dalal completed a strong performance, followed by Manprit Pardeep with 13 points and Ashish Malik with a high five. For the Haryana Steelers, Shivam Patare and Vinay also recorded heroic Super 10s.
Bengal Warriorz got out to a fast start, with Ashish Malik’s tackle opening the scoring. Devank Dalal also didn’t take long to establish himself offensively, applying pressure to the Haryana Steelers early on.
With the help of a Super Tackle from Neeraj, Shivam Patare was able to keep the Haryana Steelers in the game by himself, cutting the deficit to two points. But when a tackle by Mayur Kadam gave the reigning champions an ALL OUT, the Season 7 winners took a seven-point lead with the score at 18-11.
Shivam Patare finished his Super 10 with 14 of the 19 points the Haryana Steelers earned in the first half. Devank Dalal continued to dominate and rack up his first Super 10 of the season, but Bengal Warriorz maintained the lead with a score of 23-19 despite his best efforts.
Vinay spearheaded the offensive charge as the reigning champs stormed back in the second half. Before Shivam Patare’s raid tied the score, Rahul Sethpal’s outstanding tackle helped the Haryana Steelers record an ALL OUT.
But with a Super Raid from Manprit Pardeep, who became the second player to record a Super 10 for his team, Bengal Warriorz quickly restored their four-point lead. His side persisted in their pursuit, giving the Haryana Steelers a second ALL OUT to increase their lead to seven points.
Devank Dalal’s incredible four-point Super Raid put the Bengal Warriorz ahead by eleven points with more than ten minutes remaining. They put themselves in an unbeatable position by inflicting a third ALL OUT on the reigning champs, surpassing the 50-point threshold with five minutes left in the game.
Since the match’s sole Do-Or-Die raid occurred in the last minute, the thrill-a-minute game also witnessed history. Bengal Warriorz skipper Devank Dalal made a statement with his commanding performance, providing an indication of the aggressive kabaddi his squad is capable of playing.
