Hyderabad: The UP Yoddhas put on a solid showing on Monday and got the better of former winners Dabang Delhi K.C. 28-23 in their opening match of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 at the GMCB Indoor Stadium, Gachibowli here.
The UP Yoddhas kicked off the proceedings when they picked up the first points of the game through a Surender Gill raid. After that, it was a tight battle, as the two competitors traded raids and points without conceding an inch to each other. Neither side could take an outright lead in the early exchanges in what was turning out to be a close battle.
However, as the first half reached the midway stage, Bhavani Rajput took charge as the UP Yoddhas started to settle in, and edged ahead of their opponents.
As the half wore on, Ashu Malik and Nitin Panwar helped Dabang Delhi K.C. fight back and bring the contest back on level terms. The first half ended with the scores 12-11 in their favour.
The second half was also a cautious start with both sides taking their time to strike. Both sides were finding it tough to break each other down despite multiple well-thought-out moves in the early exchanges. At the end of the first phase of the second half, there was hardly any difference between the two sides. The UP Yoddhas led 18-16, with the game very much on a knife’s edge.
By now Naveen Kumar had picked up the baton from Ashu Malik and was leading the charge for the Dabang Delhi K.C. as they looked to fightback. However, in the final phase of play, the UP Yoddhas cranked up the intensity as Sahul Kumar inflicted an All Out on Dabang Delhi K.C. and the raiders also picked up crucial points.
That helped the UP Yoddhas take a five-point lead with less than five minutes to go. Eventually, the UP Yoddhas came away with the win in what was a closely-fought game. Bhavani Rajput top-scored for the UP Yoddhas with seven points.
With this, UP Yoddhas joined the likes of defending champions Puneri Paltan, Tamil Thailavas, Gujarat Giants, and Jaipur Pink Panthers which started their campaigns on a winning note in PKL Season 11.
–IANS
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