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The first three matches of 2022 finish in ties; the year kicks off in style.
In an exciting match at The Sheraton Grand Whitefield on Saturday, Bengaluru Bulls ended up in a 34-34 tie against Telugu Titans thanks to a last-second tackle by Pawan Sehrawat on Rohit Kumar. Despite dominating the match with two all-outs, the Titans were unable to protect their lead in the final stages.
With Sehrawat spending nearly 20 minutes in the dugout, the Bulls had a poor day on the mat. Nevertheless, the captain initiated the most important tackle of the match in the closing seconds. While their morale was depleted by the tie, the Titans can take a positive from the performance of their young raider Ankit Beniwal, who tallied a Super 10.
A calm Kumar led to youngsters Ankit Beniwal and Rakesh Gowda to shine in yet another ineffective game as a raider for the Titans.
Dabang Delhi held by Tamil Thalaivas
DDKC had to settle down on a draw against the Thalaivas (30-30). Naveen Kumar was always once again brilliant for his side picking up thirteen points.
Delhi will have to settle down with the tie, as they still retain their position at the top of the points table but now will have to win their upcoming games to maintain their position on the apex of the table. Kumar was once again the star for Dabang Delhi, getting his fifth consecutive super ten of the season.
The Delhi team was very evenly balanced throughout the game, with their offensive and defensive units picking up points in all favourable situations. Fans will hope that the side can maintain its position at the top of the points table.
U Mumba and UP Yoddha start off the year with a brilliant draw!
In Saturday’s game against UP Yoddha, U Mumba’s defensive unit deserved a 28-28 tie thanks to a remarkable performance. Surender Gill led UP Yoddha with eight points. V Ajith Kumar found the scoreboard with nine for U Mumba.
As both sides matched each other point for point in the first five minutes, the scoreboard showed parity. U Mumba was forced to play three players on the mat after UP Yoddha scored three unanswered points, but their defence stood up and Super Tackled Rohit Tomar to cut the deficit to one point.
Both teams matched each other point for a point after the All Out to ensure the game remained a draw with under four minutes to play. Solid defensive work by UP Yoddha allowed them to take the lead, but U Mumba answered with two straight points to regain the lead.
The final seconds were crucial for Ankit’s team, and he managed to force Fazel Atrachali into a mistake to level the score with less than a minute left. In the final two raids of the match, neither team took a risk, resulting in a tie.