PKL 2019, Bengal Warriors vs Tamil Thalaivas: Warriors defeat Thalaivas in an intriguing battle
Tamil Thalaivas suffered a blow at the hands of the Bengal Warriors in their last match of Pro Kabaddi 2019, played at Greater Noida's Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex on Wednesday. The Warriors also moved up to the top of the points table after the win.
Rahul Chaudhari, known as the poster boy of the league, fell short of his Super 10 by just three points. From the Warriors army, Mohammad Nabibakhsh became the top scorer with seven points to his name. On the defensive front, Rinku Narwal and Sagar completed their respective High 5s.
Rahul Chaudhari inaugurated the night for the Thalaivas and returned empty-handed. The subsequent raid saw Sukesh Hegde pick up the first point for the Warriors, with a running hand touch on Chaudhari.
Five minutes into the anticipated game, the Warriors, who have already qualified for not just the playoffs but the semi-finals as well, edged ahead to 4-3 on the scoreboard.
The Tamil Nadu-based franchise, which was playing its last match of the season, kept looking out for a win to end its campaign on a good note. Soon enough, a few power-packed tackles and raids by the players of Tamil Thalaivas put them in the lead for the first time during the match.
Claiming Mohammad Nabibakhsh safe, the Warriors asked for a review, which was declared successful upon inspection. The conclusion of the first half saw the teams tied at 13-13.
Nabibakhsh's commendable tackle on Victor Obiero kickstarted the second half on a good note for the Warriors, which was then followed by a beautiful raid by Sourabh Tanaji Patil. Bengal Warriors, who didn't give their best in the first twenty minutes, now started picking up pace in the second half.
Courtesy a mindblowing two-point raid by Hegde, the Warriors successfully inflicted an all-out on the Thalaivas in the 28th minute. Using the review system to the fullest, the Warriors then demanded a bonus point. The review, unfortunately, was deemed futile.
The Warriors, who were resting their main players, made their bench play the game, with Nabibakhsh and Hegde leading the team from the front. The Thalaivas requested a review with just three minutes remaining on the clock and ended up losing it for a bonus point.
Ultimately, the Bengal Warriors clinched the intense battle at 33-29 and got a boost ahead of their upcoming playoffs match. Disappointingly for the Thalaivas, they ended their PKL 2019 campaign with a loss.
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