Raider Surender Gill helped U.P. Yoddha beat Telugu Titans 39-35 on Day 7 in Pro Kabaddi Season 8’s Rivalry Week.
The Telugu Titans had a four-point lead going into the final five minutes of the match, but Surender Gill’s clever raids helped Yoddha stage a remarkable comeback. The raider scored a super 10 (12 points), his sixth of the season and was ably supported by his partner Shrikant Jadhav (9 points). The win helped UP halt their four-match losing streak and remain in contention for a playoff spot. Telugu Titans will only have themselves to blame for the loss after their raider Rajnish had put them in a position of advantage with a super 10 (13 points).
Telugu Titans had Rajnish and Ankit Beniwal back on the mat and that certainly inspired them to start the match all guns blazing. The duo kept pushing the Yoddha defence as the Titans started the match on a positive note. But Yoddha and their star raider Surender Gill were not in a mood to give up. They fought back valiantly and soon took control of the match. Shrikant Jadhav also chipped in with valuable raid points as they secured an all out in the 15th minute to open a three-point lead.
The Titans, placed bottom of the points table, were playing for pride and they immediately wiped off the points gap. Rajnish raced to nine raid points while substitute Adarsh T contributed with clever raids in super tackle situations. They inflicted an all out in the final raid of the half to secure a four-point lead. The first half ended 22-18.
The lead kept see-sawing between the teams in the early minutes of the second half. U.P. Yoddha levelled the scores immediately after the restart with Shrikant Jadhav powerful in his raids. But a stunning super tackle by Prince on Surender Gill once again paved way for a brief period of Telugu dominance. Rajnish got his super 10 as they maintained a four-point gap with 10 minutes remaining. Adarsh clinched a two-point raid in a do-or-die situation to further improve the Titans’ lead.
Moments later, Surender Gill showed why he is considered one of the best raiders in kabaddi with quick raid points. He picked up his super 10 and made it just a one-point game with two minutes remaining. It helped UP get back the momentum to inflict an all out and helped them gain a slender three-point advantage. The lead proved too much for the Titans to overcome as they succumbed to another morale-depleting loss.
Featured photo: Pro Kabaddi
