Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 28 (ANI): The Patna Pirates advanced to the PKL Season 11 Final after clinching a thrilling victory against Dabang Delhi KC in Semi-Final 2, at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi in Pune.
The Patna Pirates sealed a nail-biting win by a scoreline of 32-28, with the dynamic duo of Devank and Ayan leading the way alongside Shubham Shinde, who registered a High-Five and Ankit scoring four tackle points.
Patna Pirates came flying out of the blocks with Devank wasting no time to make his presence felt on a night where he amassed the 300-raid points mark in his career.
He opened his account with three successful raids on the go to give his side a lead in the early stages. Dabang Delhi KC soon found themselves in trouble as Shubham Shinde tackled Ashu Malik, putting the three-time champions in the ascendancy.
Dabang Delhi KC responded strongly after a tackle from Rahul got the better of Devank. Naveen Kumar followed it up with a successful Do-or-Die Raid to close the gap to one point in this tense affair before Ayan took over for the Patna Pirates. His efforts on the raiding end helped his side extend their lead to five points with the score at 8-3 after the first ten minutes of the game.
A Super Raid from Mohit gave Dabang Delhi KC a lifeline as they closed the gap once more. However, they couldn’t quite find their way back into the contest as Devank returned to pile on the misery. Shubham Shinde then delivered a hammer blow, tackling Ashu Malik to inflict an All-Out and putting Patna Pirates in the driver’s seat.
With the Patna Pirates’ defence all over their opponents, the Dabang Delhi KC raiders couldn’t find their groove. It was the defensive efforts from Rahul and Yogesh that helped them find some momentum eventually, cutting the deficit to seven points, trailing 17-10 at the end of the first half.
It was a cautious start to the second half with the defenders on top for both sides. Deepak and Shubham Shinde made sure they kept their foot on the gas, while Sandeep and Yogesh did the same for Dabang Delhi KC. With some momentum on their side, they reduced the deficit to five points, rekindling some hope for the season eight champions.
They further reduced the gap to four points courtesy of Mohit stepping up to the plate with a two-point raid. Ashu Malik also eventually found his mojo, scoring a two-point raid of his own, making it 18-22 as the game entered its final phase. Dabang Delhi KC didn’t waste any time to make it a one-point game as Rahul pulled off a stunning tackle on Devank, helping his team inflict an All-Out on Patna Pirates.
The season eight champions levelled the score at 25-25 with under seven minutes to go, making it a humdinger as the game went down to the wire.
They got their first lead of the night at a crucial stage, as Yogesh tackled Devank on a Do-or-Die Raid. Patna Pirates came back strongly as Shubham Shinde completed his High-5, regaining a one-point lead in this nail-biter of a contest.
Ayan and Mohit exchanged successful Die-or-Die Raids, keeping Patna Pirates’ one-point lead with under a minute to go. They prevailed in the clutch moments as Ankit’s swift tackle on Naveen Kumar, followed by Ayan’s two-point raid sealed the deal for the three-time champions, helping them advance to their fifth PKL Final.
With this win, the Patna Pirates have set up a blockbuster final against Haryana Steelers, that will take place on Sunday, December 29. (ANI)
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