Pune, Dec 6 (IANS): In an electrifying contest at the Badminton Hall of Balewadi Sports Complex, UP Yoddhas and Dabang Delhi K.C. played out an intense 32-32 tie at the Pune leg during the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 on Thursday evening.
The closely contested battle saw both teams trading points throughout the match, with neither side able to establish a decisive advantage. The dynamic duo of Gagan Gowda and Bhavani Rajput proved to be the cornerstone of UP Yoddhas' offensive strategy. Gowda's impressive tally of 13 points highlighted his growing importance to the team, while Rajput's crucial 10-point contribution demonstrated his reliability in pressure situations.
However, despite the promising offensive display by the UP Yoddhas in the match, the team's defense struggled to maintain consistency, which prevented them from securing a win in the tightly contested match.
UP Yoddhas' star defender Sumit Sangwan acknowledged areas for improvement while highlighting the team's strategic approach, "While our raiders performed exceptionally well today, we need to tighten our defense in upcoming matches. We will analyse video footage and plan accordingly, and we'll continue to focus on strengthening our defensive capabilities to secure better results."
Reflecting on the match, UP Yoddhas' assistant coach Upendra Malik emphasised the strategic importance of the result: "With six matches remaining, no team can afford to take unnecessary risks. The points table is incredibly tight, with minimal differences between teams. Today's performance, particularly from Gagan Gowda and Bhavani Rajput, shows our team's potential. Gowda's consistency and Bhavani's crucial points in critical situations were particularly noteworthy."
Looking ahead, UP Yoddhas will face Puneri Paltan in their next encounter on Saturday at the Balewadi Sports Complex, as they continue their campaign in PKL Season 11. The team aims to build on this performance and secure crucial points in their upcoming matches as the race for the playoffs heats up.