Pune, Dec 6 Moein Shafaghi led the way as the Tamil Thalaivas stormed past the Gujarat Giants and registered a big 40-27 win in Match 95 of Season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) in the Badminton Hall at the Balewadi Sports Complex here on Friday. The Tamil Thalaivas won the contest with Shafaghi scoring 13 points, while Sourabh Fagare and Himanshu added seven each. For the Gujarat Giants, Himanshu Singh finished with 11 points.
Both sides made a slow start to the contest before the Tamil Thalaivas pulled away with a three-point lead within the first five minutes. Shafaghi and Himanshu made important contributions to the Tamil Thalaivas, who were dominant in the early phase.
The Gujarat Giants’ defence was finding it tough while the Tamil Thalaivas were looking solid in that department. Midway through the first half, it was the Tamil Thalaivas who had the upper hand and the lead.
As the half wore on, the Tamil Thalaivas continued to keep their opponents at bay and then Moein Shafaghi landed an All Out on the Gujarat Giants as well, to stretch the lead to a 9-point one. The likes of Aashish, Moein Shafaghi and Himanshu were calling the shots for the Tamil Thalaivas, who went into the half-time break with the score at 19-8.
Early in the second half, Moein Shafaghi landed an All Out on the Gujarat Giants, which further piled on the pressure. What wasn’t helping the Gujarat Giants was that along with Shafaghi, the likes of Aashish and Himanshu picked up a flurry of points, which extended the lead to close to 20 points.
For the Gujarat Giants, Himanshu Singh was doing most of the heavy lifting but didn’t find the support he would have hoped for. At the half-hour mark, the Gujarat Giants were trailing by 15 points, before Himanshu Singh inflicted an ALL OUT on the Tamil Thalaivas. Moments later, Moein Shafaghi went through the Gujarat Giants' defence with a three-point raid and also brought up his Super 10.
In the final phase of the game, the Gujarat Giants did their best to reduce the deficit, but the Tamil Thalaivas were having none of that. Eventually, the Tamil Thalaivas romped past their opponents to register a comprehensive win.
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