Pune, Dec 20 (IANS): The U Mumba were in fine form with Ajith Chauhan leading the way in attack and Sunil Kumar pulling the strings from the defence as they swatted away the challenge of Patna Pirates in a Season 11 clash of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) in the Badminton Hall of the Balewadi Sports Complex here on Thursday. The U Mumba side won by 43-37.

Incidentally, if Jaipur Pink Panthers can avoid defeat against the Bengal Warriorz on Friday, then U Mumba and the Season 10 champions will clinch the final two playoff berths.

Manjeet and Devank got the U Mumba and Patna Pirates off the mark, respectively. And after that Manjeet’s two-point raid, coupled with a solid tackle from Lokesh Ghosliya, helped U Mumba pick up a 3-point lead in the early exchanges. Rohit Raghav also got his act going, as the U Mumba continued to build on the lead.

Eight minutes into the game, Ajith Chauhan kicked off his evening with a three-point Super Raid, and right after, U Mumba inflicted an All Out on their opponents, which extended their lead to a 7-point one. While Ajith Chauhan and co tried to keep the Patna Pirates at bay, Devank was going through the gears, and threatening to turn the contest on its head.

U Mumba’s defenders, Lokesh, Rinku, and Sunil Kumar though had other ideas and kept the Patna Pirates at arm’s length. At half-time, Ajith Chauhan was on the brink of another Super 10, and the U Mumba led 24-14.

The second half started slower than the first. Within the first few minutes, Ajith Chauhan completed his Super 10, and then he went on to inflict an All Out on the Patna Pirates as well. With 15 minutes to go, the U Mumba were well and truly in the box seat, as they had a 12-point lead.

Even though Devank was not having his best games yet, Sudhakar M was doing his best to keep the Patna Pirates in the game. At the half-hour mark, the Patna Pirates, who have already secured qualification for the playoffs, trailed by 10 points. U Mumba were in no mood to relent with Ajith Chauhan looking for more raid points and Sunil and co doing their bit in defence.

Sunil Kumar got his High-5 in the final minutes of the game, and his fellow defenders also made significant contributions to the cause, shutting the door on a comeback for the Patna Pirates. Moments before the end of the game, the Patna Pirates got an All Out, and Devank completed his Super 10 as well. But it was too little too late, as the U Mumba eventually came away with the win.

For the U Mumba, Ajith Chauhan scored 15 points, while Sunil Kumar got a High-5. On the other end, Devank bagged 12 points, while Ayan got 7 and Sudhakar M scored 5 more as well for the Patna Pirates.