UP Yoddhas and U Mumba sealed their spots in the PKL 2024-25 elimination round on Tuesday following their thumping victories over Bengaluru Bulls and Bengal Warriorz in Pune.
They became the last two teams to secure their spots in the playoff after Patna Pirates and Jaipur Pink Panthers.
First and second-placed teams Haryana Steelers and Dabang Delhi will play in the semifinal.
In a thrilling Pro Kabaddi League clash that secured UP Yoddhas the third spot in the league table with a 44-30 victory over Bengaluru Bulls, the spotlight shone brightest on PKL legend Pardeep Narwal, who achieved an extraordinary milestone of 1,800 raid points.
An all-round performance led by Shivam Choudhary, not only highlighted their championship credentials but also confirmed their eliminator 1 berth against the sixth-placed team, while Patna Pirates settled for fourth position in the standings.
In a tightly contested first half, the Bengaluru Bulls held a narrow 19-18 lead over UP Yoddhas at halftime, despite squandering an early 11-3 advantage.
The Bengaluru Bulls initially dominated through Sushil’s aggressive raiding and strong defensive work, inflicting the first ALL OUT of the match. However, the Yoddhas mounted an impressive comeback, with their own ALL OUT reducing the deficit to 15-13.
A highlight of the first half was Pardeep Narwal’s historic achievement as he crossed the 1,800 Raid Points in the PKL – a feat he accomplished with a bonus point during a raid against the UP Yoddhas’ defence.
The momentum shifted significantly after this moment, as the UP Yoddhas’ coordinated defence and effective raiding from Surender Gill and Shivam Chaudhary helped them erase the seven-point deficit to briefly level the scores before Bulls edged ahead by a single point at the break.
The second half saw a dramatic swing in momentum as UP Yoddhas took control of the match, building a commanding 44-30 lead by the end. The turning point came around the 31-minute mark when the Yoddhas inflicted another ALL OUT on the Bulls, establishing a crucial 6-point lead.
Shivam Chaudhary proved instrumental in this phase, consistently scoring points through successful raids, including a memorable leap over the Bulls’ defence. Despite Pardeep Narwal and Sushil’s efforts to keep the Bulls in contention, the UP Yoddhas’ defense stood firm, with Sahul Kumar and Gangaram making crucial tackles.
The final minutes saw the UP Yoddhas extend their dominance, with Shivam Chaudhary delivering the knockout blow by helping inflict another ALL OUT on the Bulls. Heidarali Ekrami fittingly closed out the match with a successful raid, cementing the UP Yoddhas’ impressive 14-point victory.
U Mumba clinch final playoff spot
The U Mumba have made the PKL Season 11 Playoffs, and taken the fifth spot on the points table, as they swatted away the challenge from Bengal Warriorz. U Mumba won Match 132 by a scoreline of 36-27, bringing down the curtains on a thoroughly entertaining league phase.
For U Mumba, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh got 7 points, while Sunil Kumar got a High-5 and Ajith Chauhan bagged 6 points. For the Bengal Warriorz, Pranay Rane scored 12 points.
The Bengal Warriorz were out of the blocks quicker than the U Mumba in the early exchanges, racing into a slender 2-point lead. But Manjeet and Sunil Kumar responded well, as the U Mumba edged ahead. For the Bengal Warriorz, Pranay Rane was leading the attack while Ajith Chauhan was having a slow start to the game.
Pranay Rane was giving it all in the final game of the season and it was reflecting on the scores, as the U Mumba were back to playing catch up. The U Mumba though were starting to go through the gears, with Ajith Chauhan, Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar holding fort.
Ajith Chauhan’s flurry of raids propelled the U Mumba into a 4-point lead, with 4 minutes to go in the first half. Sunil Kumar then landed an ALL OUT, and the Season 2 champions took charge. At the break, U Mumba led 18-10.
U Mumba, who last made the Playoffs in Season 7, picked up the pace from the get-go in the second half, as Amirmohammad Zafardanesh started things off with a three-point lead. U Mumba were marching on towards the fifth spot on the points table.
7 minutes into the second half, the Bengal Warriorz were on the wrong side of another ALL OUT, which gave the U Mumba a 14-point lead. Meanwhile, Nitesh Kumar had picked up another High-5 for the Bengal Warriorz, and along with Pranay Rane was soldiering on. U Mumba captain Sunil Kumar too had registered another High-5 by the half-hour mark.
Shortly after, Pranay Rane got to his Super 10 and that was followed by an ALL OUT on the U Mumba. The Bengal Warriorz were threatening to make a comeback, and with just under 7 minutes to go, faced a 7-point deficit. Pranay Rane and Nitesh Kumar were giving the U Mumba a few nervy moments in the final minutes.
However, the U Mumba had done enough and walked away with a morale boosting win, and the fifth spot on the points table.
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