Pawan and Arjun led the Tamil Thalaivas to a narrow 38-35 victory over the Telugu Titans
Arjun Deshwal and Pawan Sehrawat starred for the Thalaivas, scoring a Super 10 and 9 points, respectively
Visakhapatnam: In a blockbuster opening game, the Tamil Thalaivas secured a thrilling 38-35 win over the home side, Telugu Titans, at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag on Friday night. Arjun Deshwal and Pawan Sehrawat starred for the Thalaivas, scoring a Super 10 and 9 points, respectively, while Bharat Hooda registered nine points for the hosts.
Arjun Deshwal picked up where he left off in Season 11, scoring with his opening raid to give the Tamil Thalaivas the lead. The experienced raider didn’t miss a beat, but Vijay Malik soon opened the account for the Telugu Titans.
Bharat Hooda got the Titans back into the game, bagging two points on a Do-or-Die raid and leveling the score at 5-5 ten minutes into the opening game.
The two teams went toe-to-toe in the first half. Bharat Hooda found his groove for the Telugu Titans, also marking a milestone with his 600th raid in the PKL. Meanwhile, Arjun Deshwal did the heavy lifting for his side, racking up seven raid points in the first half. The Tamil Thalaivas held a slender lead at the end of the half with the score at 14-13.
The second half began with a sedate pace before Bharat Hooda got the better of Himanshu and Suresh Jadhav on a Do-or-Die Raid. From there, it didn't take long for the Telugu Titans to execute the first ALL OUT of the season, giving them a five-point lead with the score at 19-14.
The hosts were firmly in control of the game, while Arjun Deshwal kept the Tamil Thalaivas alive by registering the first Super 10 of the season. Pawan Sehrawat opened his account soon after, igniting a comeback for his side.
With their two raiders combining well, the Tamil Thalaivas leveled the score at 28-28 with less than five minutes left. They capitalized on that momentum, getting an ALL OUT after Nitesh Kumar tackled Ashish Narwal, taking a two-point lead with the score at 31-29.
As the game came down to the wire, Bharat Hooda completed his Super 10, bringing the gap down to one point. In the dying seconds, Pawan Sehrawat delivered a clutch Super Raid to secure the 38-35 win for the Tamil Thalaivas.
Saturday's PKL Season 12 Schedule
Match 1: Telugu Titans vs UP Yoddhas – 8 pm
Match 2: U Mumba vs Gujarat Giants – 9 pm
