PKL 9: UP Yoddhas go down to Gujarat Giants

BENGALURU: An impressive raiding performance but a lack luster defense saw UP Yoddhas go down 45-51 to the Gujarat Giants in match 28 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 9 at the Shree Kanteerava Stadium here on Wednesday.

The match had as many as four raiders picking up Super 10s that included UP Yoddhas star raiders Pardeep Narwal (17) and Surender Gill (14). UP Yoddhas are now placed sixth with 13 points to their kitty from 5 games so far this season. UP Yoddhas will next play Tamil Thalaivas on October 23.

The game began with UP Yoddhas star raider Pardeep Narwal managing to salvage a point despite being caught out in his first raid. Fortunes kept swinging in the initial stages with Pardeep and Surender being matched by Gujarat Giants raiders in picking up raid points while both the teams made defensive errors.

With about seven minutes left in the first half, UP Yoddhas managed to open up a four-point lead on the back of a Super Raid of three points by Pardeep coupled with some superb defense by Sumit, which inflicted the match's first All Out on Gujarat Giants.

While defensive lapses continued on both sides, UP Yoddhas held on to take a 21-19 lead into the break. Pardeep Narwal had so far eight raid points while Surender Gill had five.

The second half began with Gujarat Giants inflicting an All-Out over UP Yoddhas in the early stages to take a two point lead at 25-23. UP Yoddhas thereafter tried making a comeback but Gujarat Giants raced ahead to inflict a second All-Out on UP Yoddhas. In the final 10 minutes of the game, UP Yoddhas gave in their all, which also included a Super Raid by Surender Gill, yet they could not evade a third All-Out on themselves.

UP Yoddhas were now trailing by 11 points with less than 4 minutes to go. However a Super Raid by Pardeep Narwal in the final few minutes helped UP Yoddhas earn a point from the game that ended with the score reading 51-45 in the favor of Gujarat Giants.