In a fiercely contested match, the Bengaluru Bulls defeated the Tamil Thalaivas 33-29 in Chennai’s SDAT Multi-Purpose Indoor Stadium on Sunday. With a High Five from Sanjay Dhull and another Super 10 from Alireza Mirzaian, the match might have gone either way before the season 6 winners prevailed. As Arjun reached 1300 points in the PKL, it was also a significant occasion for him.
Yogesh held sturdy in defense and Alireza Mirzaian looked quick in attack as the Bulls got off to a strong start. They placed the Thalaivas on the defensive in the first few minutes, forcing mistakes and taking advantage of them to maintain their lead on the scoreboard, making their intentions evident.
The game-changing moment occurred when Nitesh Kumar gave the Thalaivas their first lead of the game with a forceful tackle on Aashish Malik. Both squads continued to trade punches after that, neither letting the other get away. With the score of 9–9 reflecting the balance of play, the match had all the makings of a hotly contested game as the first ten minutes came to an end.
Both the Thalaivas and the Bulls refused not concede an inch as the second quarter of the game proceeded in the same intense manner as the first. The Bulls attempted to exert pressure with the help of Deepak Sankar’s powerful tackles and Alireza Mirzaian’s incisive raids, while Ganesha Hanamantagol contributed crucial points.
With Rohit Beniwal keeping the scoreboard moving and Arjun Deshwal planning raids, the Thalaivas retaliated just as successfully. Because each successful raid was swiftly followed by an opposing one, the seesaw war made guaranteed that neither side could separate.
The high point of this phase was when Deshwal’s successful raid gave the Bulls an ALL OUT, shifting the balance of power in the Thalaivas’ favor. The Thalaivas remained in the game thanks to tackles from Ronak and Nitesh Kumar. The game was still too close to call, with the Thalaivas leading by a slim 18–17 at the break after both teams traded blows during the first half.
When Deshwal’s successful raid gave the Bulls an ALL OUT and shifted the tide in favor of the Thalaivas, it was the high point of this phase. Nitesh Kumar and Ronak’s tackles made sure the Thalaivas continued to compete. The Thalaivas are ahead 18–17 at the break, and the game is still too close to call because both teams were trading blows during the first half.
Deepak Sankar and Sanjay stood tall for the Bulls, while Arulnanthababu and Ronak responded for the Thalaivas. Both teams executed strong defensive plays. With his crucial raid points, Alireza Mirzaian remained the Bulls’ offensive spark, and Rohit Beniwal made a consistent effort to hold the Thalaivas in line.
The Bulls, however, prevailed by taking advantage of pivotal situations. The crucial tackles by Deepak on Arjun Deshwal and Himanshu were followed by additional pressure from Alireza, who benched Nitesh Kumar. Despite Beniwal’s Do-Or-Die raid in response, the Bulls’ defensive tenacity made sure they had a slim two-point lead at the half, leading 23–21.
The contest’s last ten minutes demonstrated how evenly matched the two teams were. Alireza responded on behalf of the Bulls, while Arjun kept the Thalaivas in the chase with his well-timed raids, earning 1300 raid points in the league. Sanjay also played a strong defensive role, making sure that neither attack won the game. The contest remained too close to call since every raid and tackle was matched blow for blow.
A brilliant Super Tackle by Sanjay in the final minute turned the tide firmly in their favour, as the Bulls found the big play they were looking for in the dying moments and the defensive masterstroke denied the Thalaivas a chance to mount a comeback and Bengaluru Bulls sealed a hard-fought 33-29 win.
