In one of the most dramatic turnarounds of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 so far, U Mumba stunned the Tamil Thalaivas with a spirited comeback at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag on Sunday.
Despite Arjun Deshwal’s Super 10 powering the Thalaivas for much of the match, a late surge from Ajit Chouhan and Anil Mohan flipped the contest on its head. U Mumba, once trailing by nine points, completed the comeback to register a thrilling 36-33 victory.
The match began with Ajit Chouhan giving them the early lead through successful raids, before Arjun Deshwal’s Do-or-Die raid in the 16th minute shifted the momentum towards the Thalaivas.
Post the first-half timeout, both teams exchanged the lead, with Anil Mohan — Category D’s most expensive player — producing a crucial raid with just one man left on the mat. He picked up a touch point and a bonus, followed by a Super Tackle from Rinku to keep U Mumba in the game. At half-time, Pawan’s dismissal of Sunil Kumar ensured the Thalaivas went in ahead 14-11.
An ALL OUT on U Mumba early in the second half stretched the Thalaivas’ advantage. Arjun Deshwal completed his second Super 10 in as many matches, while Nitesh Kumar shone when he dismissed Ajit Chouhan. Soon after, Pawan added two more points as the Thalaivas opened up a nine-point lead.
But U Mumba launched a remarkable fightback. Ajit Chouhan and Anil Mohan spearheaded the charge, cutting the deficit to just two points with five minutes left. The pressure told as U Mumba not only avoided another ALL OUT but inflicted one of their own on the Thalaivas, turning the contest in their favour.
With the game slipping away, an unforced error from Pawan sealed the result. The Sunil Kumar-led U Mumba completed an improbable comeback to snatch a 36-33 victory — their second win after beating the Gujarat Giants in a tie-breaker on Saturday night.
U Mumba and Tamil Thalaivas players in action during their match in PKL 12 in Vizag on Sunday. |
Tie-breakers test your calm, and that’s what won us the game: Sunil Kumar
Earlier, U Mumba opened their PKL Season 12 campaign with a nail-biting victory over Gujarat Giants, clinching the contest 7-6 in the tie-breaker after the scores were level at 29-29 at full-time on Saturday.
The clash at the Vishwanadh Sports Club was the second instance of the new tie-breaker rule in three matches this season.
Sunil Kumar called the tie-breaker format an exciting and welcome addition.
“Tie-breakers are about keeping your cool. You have to trust your instincts and use your brain in those crunch situations. That calmness is what helped us today,” Kumar said.
“Winning the opening match in a tie-breaker builds a lot of belief. It shows the strength and unity of our squad, and gives us confidence going into the long season ahead. The league is only beginning, but this win sets the right tone for us.”
