Surender Gill was the star for U.P. Yoddha as they thrashed Puneri Paltan 50-40 in a high-scoring match 60 of Pro Kabaddi Season 8 at The Sheraton Grand, Whitefield in Bengaluru.
Raiders Surender Gill (21 points) and Pardeep Narwal (10 points) scored super 10s for Yoddha in an intense kabaddi match with way too many defensive errors. Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat scored super 10s for the Pune side, but they did not get any help from a stuttering defence that conceded far too many points.
The first half was a high-scoring affair with just one empty raid in the first five minutes. Pardeep Narwal started the proceedings with a three-point super raid and that certainly set the tone for the other raiders. Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat combined to help Pune clinch the game’s first all-out close to the tenth minute but Yoddha immediately clawed their way back.
It was raining super raids on both sides and Surender Gill’s three-point effort with seven minutes remaining helped Yoddha inflict an all-out. Both the left corners, Pune’s Vishal Bharadwaj and Yoddha’s Sumit, were having an error-prone night and conceded far too many points in the first half that ended 20-20.
Yoddha started the second half brightly with Surender Gill aggressive in his raids. His four-point super raid in the fifth minute paved way for another all-out which helped Yoddha open a seven-point lead. He and Pardeep Narwal took turns to eat points away from Pune and eventually inflicted an all-out in the 10th minute.
U.P. scored a massive 20 points in the first 10 minutes after the restart to open a 15-point lead. Both Pardeep and Surender crossed their super 10s while Mohit Goyat did the same for Pune.
Aslam Inamdar scored a three-point super raid in the 12th minute of the second half to spark a comeback. But Pune’s defenders were having a night to forget with Surender Gill picking points with ease. Despite Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat’s best attempts, Pune could not close the gap as Yoddha clinched a valuable win. Surender Gill ended the match with a tally of 21 points.
Featured photo: Pro Kabaddi
