Ahmedabad, Aug 16:
Rohit Baliyan sizzled with a last-minute Super Raid as heavyweights U Mumba edged out three-time champions Patna Pirates 34-30 in a crucial encounter of the Pro Kabaddi League season seven here today.
Both former champions went into the match after a patchy run of form with more losses than wins in their previous seven matches but U Mumba’s clever strategy finally paid dividends as they surpassed a error-prone Patna in a thriller.
The first half started brightly for the Pirates with Pardeep Narwal picking up a point in his very first raid and sending Mumbai’s key defender Surinder Singh to the dugout.
But U Mumba weathered the early storm and clawed their way back in the game. Their star defender Sandeep Narwal produced a super tackle in the fifth minute to knockout Pardeep and level the points.
An error in judgment by Patna raider Jang Kun Lee, stepping out of bounds, handed another two points and the momentum to the Mumbai side.
Sandeep Narwal’s all-round effort, which also saw him reach a Pro Kabaddi milestone of 500 points, and Athul MS’ raiding more than covered up for the absence of their raider Abhishek Singh. (PTI)
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