Can Chennai Quick Guns outgun Gujarat in the final?

CUTTACK: Chennai Quick Guns reached the final of Ultimate Kho Kho Season 2 with a 31-29 victory over Telugu Yoddhas in the second semi-final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Cuttack on Thursday. They will take on Gujarat Giants, who beat defending champions Odisha Juggernauts in the first semi-final.

Despite Telugu Yoddhas seizing an early advantage, Chennai Quick Guns clawed its way back into the match with an impressive attacking performance in the final turn.

All eyes were on the in-form Ramji Kashyap going into Turn 1, but it was another big name player who grabbed all the attention. Yoddhas skipper Pratik Waikar was in regal form, scoring a whopping ten points for his team in turn. Chennai Quick Guns’ first batch — Ramji, Vijay Shinde and Madan — earned the customary couple of dream run points. But that was all that the Telugu Yoddhas attackers led by Waikar allowed their opponents. At the end of the turn, Telugu Yoddhas had a 14-2 advantage.

Telugu Yoddhas consolidated the advantage in Turn 2 with their first batch of Waikar, Aditya Ganpule and Avdhut Patil staying on the mat for four minutes and seven seconds, and getting three dream run points. The first innings ended with the score at 17-14 in favour of Telugu Yoddhas.

Waikar continued his superb show in Turn 3, taking just four seconds to send back his first victim. The first Chennai Quick Guns batch lasted just two minutes and 11 seconds. That allowed Chennai Quick Guns’ prime batch of Ramji, Shinde and Madan to come on the mat. They did their job, spending four minutes and 18 seconds on the mat and earning three dream run points. The Chennai Quick Guns attackers however came to the party in Turn 4, sending back the first two Telugu Yoddhas batches in quick time and levelling the scores. And with Laxman Gawas sending back Avdhut Patil, the Chennai Quick Guns had the points they needed.