Bengal Warriorz defeated Tamil Thalaivas 44-43, completing an incredible eight-point comeback to preserve their playoff aspirations on Tuesday at the Thyagaraj Stadium in Delhi. In order to maintain their chances of finishing in the top eight, Vishwas S led from the front with 19 points, while Himanshu Narwal also contributed with 9.
Arjun Deshwal, who has 200 raid points this season, scored 20 points for the Tamil Thalaivas. Moein Shafaghi contributed eight points, but the Thalaivas gave up a sizable advantage even with his help.
The game began with an exchange of blows between Arjun Deshwal and Vishwas S, giving the Warriorz a three-point advantage early on. Himanshu Narwal’s two-point raid and Ankit’s tackle gave them the lead, but it was short-lived. Tamil Thalaivas took a three-point lead after Ronak’s Super Tackle and Arjun Deshwal’s four-point Super Raid reversed the trend.
Warriorz’s skipper, Vishwas S, kept them in the game with an auspicious start. However, Nitesh Kumar’s tackle and Arjun Deshwal’s two-point raid, which also helped him finish his Super 10, gave the Thalaivas the first ALL OUT of the game, putting his team ahead 16–8 at the end of the first quarter.
The Warriorz were outscored in the first ten minutes of play, but they were able to rally in a calm second period. While Vishwas and Himanshu Narwal kept things moving on the raiding end, Ankit, Sandeep Saini, and Phool Chandra’s tackles helped their defense close the gap. They trailed 22-16 at the end of the first half, but they showed some grit and cut the difference to six points.
At the beginning of the second half, Vishwas S maintained his advantage by finishing his Super 10 to keep his team’s momentum going. It was a three-point game at 25–22 after his two-point raid enabled the Warriorz to perform an ALL OUT. With two points ahead going into the last ten minutes, the Thalaivas made sure they stayed ahead thanks to goals from Arjun Deshwal and Moein Shafaghi.
In this intense match, neither team gave up an inch, and Bengal Warriorz’s perseverance paid off as they eventually tied the score at 36-36 thanks to multi-point baskets from Himanshu Narwal and Vishwas S. With less than three minutes remaining, Arjun Deshwal’s Super Raid helped his team reclaim a three-point advantage.
Himanshu Narwal gave the Warriorz a two-point advantage with another ALL OUT on the Thalaivas, marking the game-changing moment. Arjun Deshwal tried his best to keep his team in the game, but Phool Chandra’s third tackle of the evening sealed Bengal’s victory. They maintained their hopes of making the playoffs by winning 44-43 after an eight-point comeback.
