PKL 2018, Warriors vs Titans: Warriors stay in hunt of top spot with convincing win over Titans
Pro Kabaddi League Season 6 action served up an interesting clash as the Telugu Titans faced off against the home side Bengal Warriors at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.
The home side Bengal Warriors faced their first defeat on home turf in their last encounter against the Dabang Delhi KC side. They aimed to get a win and keep the pressure on the table toppers Bengaluru Bulls. Telugu Titans, on the other hand, were hoping to get the five points and stay in contention of the playoffs spot in a do-or-die situation for them.
The Telugu Titans fielded a young side tonight with key players like Vishal Bhardwaj, Nilesh Salunke and Rahul Chaudhari left out of the lineup entirely. Abozar Mighani started on the bench for the Titans.
The first half of the match started off with the Bengal Warriors taking quick advantage in the match after a four-point Super Raid by Jang Kun Lee in the second minute. However, a couple of Super Tackles for the Telugu Titans kept themselves alive on the mat.
The young Titans lineup put up a strong fight against the Warriors and kept the scores tight throughout the first half. However, the Warriors were able to get the all-out in the final five minutes of the half. The score stood 23-15 in favour of the Bengal Warriors at the end of the half.
The second period saw the Warriors start off with an all-out to take a comfortable lead in the match. Maninder Singh's strong raiding and Surjeet Singh's effective defence on the mat kept the Warriors in the lead throughout the half.
However, a late fightback from the Telugu Titans saw them close the gap to three points, inflicting an all-out on the home side. The Warriors used their time well and won the match with a 39-34 scoreline in the end. Telugu Titans bowed out of the race for a playoffs spot with this result. UP Yoddha and Patna Pirates are the two sides who have a shot at the third spot in playoffs from Zone B.
Here are the player ratings from tonight's clash:
Bengal Warriors
Ran Singh - (2.5/10)
The skipper of the Bengal Warriors was ineffective in the first half of the match, conceding five points with his unsuccessful tackle attempts. He was replaced in the second half by Adarsh T.
Surjeet Singh - (7/10)
The experienced defender was in fine touch on the night for the Warriors, putting in timely blocks from the right cover position. He picked up a 'High 5' on the night.
Baldev Singh - (3/10)
The young right corner Baldev Singh picked up one tackle point in the first half of the match. He was replaced in the second half by Amit Nagar.
Ziaur Rehman - (3/10)
The cover defender was a good support to his teammates in Bengal Warriors' defensive setup and had one tackling point tonight with a strong dash.
Ravindra Ramesh Kumawat - (5/10)
The third raider of the Bengal Warriors' lineup managed five points on the night, including a couple of bonus points with his speed from the left side of the mat.
Maninder Singh - (8/10)
The star raider was highly efficient tonight for the Warriors, picking up 12 raid points in fifteen raid attempts on the night. He kept the Titans' inexperienced defence on their toes and scored his Super 10 in the first half itself.
Jang Kun Lee - (5/10)
The Korean international started off strong tonight with a four-point Super Raid and set the stage early on in the match. He had a quiet match since that point and finished with five raid points.
Substitutes:
Amit Nagar - (4/10)
The substitute came off the bench in the second half and picked up three raid points including one in a do-or-die raid situation.