Mohammadreza Shadloui and Ankit Dahiya’s outstanding performances helped the Gujarat Giants defeat the UP Yoddhas 33-27 in a Pro-Kabaddi League game played in Chennai on Monday.
Bhavani Rajput of the Yoddhas contributed a few crucial points, but the Giants overcame their five-game losing streak with a much-needed victory.
The Giants swiftly rallied to make it 1-1 after the Yoddhas took the lead with their first strike.
Harish’s successful raid reduced the difference to 4-2 after the Yoddhas recovered momentum with a two-point lead and extended it to 4-1.
Rakesh quickly scored three points in a single move with a spectacular Super Raid, the 50th overall this season, which gave the Giants a decisive advantage.
Shadloui’s strong raid to force an ALL OUT just before the first half timeout helped the Giants increase their lead to five points. By halftime, the Giants had a 21-16 lead on the scoreboard.
The UP Yoddhas scored a few early points in the second half thanks to an all-around performance.
But Ankit Dahiya’s outstanding tackle gave the Gujarat Giants a point right away, maintaining his team’s momentum.
With shrewd raids and strong defense, the Giants held their lead for the first ten minutes of the second half. They were comfortably ahead by four points when the Strategic Time Out was called.
The Giants came back strong from the half, holding a five-point advantage. The UP Yoddhas scored with less than five minutes left, cutting the deficit to four points.
After that, Bhavani Rajput led a successful raid that gave his team a ray of hope and moved the score to 29-26. But the Giants soon gained a point thanks to Dahiya’s key tackle.
Shadloui made a vital tackle with just over a minute remaining to give the Giants a four-point lead again.
