Noida, Nov 26 (IANS): Substitute Masanamuthu and Iranian Moein Shafaghi excelled as the Tamil Thalaivas returned to winning ways after a brilliant performance that helped them beat the UP Yoddhas 40-26 in Match 77 of Season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Noida Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday. It was a well-earned victory led by Masanamuthu, and his Iranian counterpart Shafaghi, as they made up for the Thalaivas' loss in the previous outing between the two sides.

A fast start from the Tamil Thalaivas saw early points won by Narender Kandola with his four straight raid points. However, a Super tackle by Ashu Singh set the tone for a comeback for the home team, UP Yoddhas. Gagan Gowda started with a Do-or-Die raid that got Nitesh Kumar. His next successful raid also bore fruit by inflicting an All Out on the Tamil Thalaivas, getting Sahil Gulia and Ronak in one brilliant raid.

This gave the UP Yoddhas a solid base to work on their lead over the Tamil Thalaivas. Despite Narender winning raid points for his team, he did not get any support from his teammates, which hurt their chances throughout the game. UP Yoddhas continued their strong momentum through to the end of the first half, with a score difference of 17-12.

The second half began similarly, with the Tamil Thalaivas struggling in the absence of Narender Kandola, who was substituted after suffering an injury towards the end of the first half. It seemed like the UP Yoddhas were running away with the win, but this was not to be as Masanamuthu entered the fray and changed the complexion of the match.

In the third phase of the match, Masanamuthu – who was brought on in place of Narender Kandola – came on with an unexpected Super Raid that got Ashu Singh, Sahul Kumar, and Sumit in one fell swoop. This inflicted an All Out on the UP Yoddhas, as the Tamil Thalaivas turned the tide in their favour.

Iranian Moein Shafaghi entered the fray for the Tamil Thalaivas, and he complemented Masanamuthu as they went on to inflict a third All Out on the home team. Gagan Gowda was on form, but his teammates failed to perform, and with a final ALL OUT inflicted on the UP Yoddhas by Shafaghi once again – their third of the night – the match eventually ended with a 14-point win for the Tamil Thalaivas.