Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 26 : In the decisive eliminator 2 clash at the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11, Patna Pirates demonstrated their championship pedigree with a convincing 31-23 win over U Mumba at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex on Thursday.
Securing the last remaining spot in the semi-finals, they were led by the exceptional performance of Ayan Lohchab and his 10 points (8 raid points), while Gurdeep scored a High 5, keeping their opponents quiet throughout the whole game. The win set up an exciting clash in Semi-final 2, against the in-form Dabang Delhi KC.
An All-Out inflicted upon U Mumba eight and a half minutes into the match gave the Patna Pirates a very strong start as the three-time PKL Champions. This came after Devank Dalal was off the mat at the start of the match, but Ayan Lohchab stepped to the fore. He was well supported by his defenders, as the likes of Ajit Chouhan and Rohit Raghav were kept quiet throughout the first phase of the clash.
U Mumba upped the ante in the second phase of the game in a bid to equal the score but to no avail. Ajit Chouhan was kept in check by the likes of Gurdeep and Ankit, while Ayan carried the Patna Pirates' attacking unit. A second All-Out was forced upon U Mumba, hampering their hard work with two minutes left to the end of the first half. The score eventually read 17-11 at the half-time stage.
As the second half commenced, Ayan continued his attacking forays. But this was not Ayan's only contribution for Patna Pirates, as he executed a crucial Super Tackle with a perfectly timed knee hold that pinned Ajit Chouhan to the mat. While Amirmohammad Zafardanesh managed to claw back a point for U Mumba with a swift hand touch on the left corner, the match remained finely balanced as the teams headed into the second timeout.
In a crucial do-or-die raid, Devank, despite his limited involvement throughout the match, proved his mettle by successfully evading Rinku's challenge against a three-man U Mumba defence. Although substitute raider M Dhanasekar managed to secure two points for U Mumba, the Patna Pirates' tactical decision to run down the clock proved effective, leaving U Mumba struggling to accumulate points at the necessary pace to mount a comeback, as the three-time champions confirmed their place in semi-final 2, where they will face Dabang Delhi KC.
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