Patna Pirates thrash Bengal Warriors 38-29 to consolidate their spot on the top of the table

The Patna Pirates locked horns with the defending champion Bengal Warriors in Match 98 of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 as the Pirates managed to overcome their opponents 38-29 to move to the top spot in the league standings. Sachin Tawar and Mohammadreza Chiyaneh were electric for their team as the two kept their team in complete control all throughout the game.

Sachin was a constant threat for the Warriors as the young raider completed yet another ‘Super 10’ racking up eleven points to his name. He was aptly supported by Guman Singh and skipper Prashant Kumar Rai as the duo scored seven and four points respectively for their side to keep the pressure off Sachin, who acted as the strike raider for the team in the absence of star Monu Goyat.

Mohammadreza was the star for the defensive unit as the young Iranian picked up his seventh Thigh 5 of the season. The defender was rock solid alongside his teammates, Neeraj Kumar, C Sajin, and Sunil as the Patna based franchise picked up a total of eleven tackle points to their name compared to their opponents who just had three tackle points in the entire game which turned out to be one of the key reasons for their defeat tonight.

Maninder Singh had a disappointing night for the defending champions as the star raider could only manage a meager four points to his name and spend the majority of the time on the sidelines waiting for revival before ultimately being subbed off from the mat. Mohammad Nabibaksh and Manoj Gowda emerged as the best players for their side as the duo shared a total of seventeen points to their name. The players, however, did not receive any support from their defenders who seemed helpless against the Patna raiders.

Sachin Tawar in action as the raider scores a touchpoint against a three-man defense

The game had a quick start as the Pirates went all out into the attack with Sachin scoring the first point of the game, with a running hand touch on Nabibaksh. Maninder was quick to fire back as the star raider scored a two-point raid escaping a tackle attempt from Neeraj and Mohammadreza. Both teams went back and forth for the next five minutes, but an escape from Guman in the 14th minute against a super tackle attempt turned the tides in the favor of the Patna-based franchise.

Nabibaksh tried to keep his side in the game as the all-rounder scored a bonus plus touchpoint in the 15th minute to avoid an all-out for his side but he couldn’t replicate the same in his next raid as he found himself in the lobby without any struggle with the defenders to grant three points to the Pirates for an all-out. At the end of the first half, the Pirates had a comfortable ten-point lead over their opponents heading into the second half with a scoreline of 11-21.

The Pirates kept their control on the game throughout the second half and did not provide the Warriors an opportunity to make a comeback into the game. Prashant and Sachin continued to run amok against the Warriors and kept picking off the defenders one after the other. The team consolidated their lead over the West Bengal-based franchise with just three minutes left before the final whistle as they tackled Akash Pikalmunde to inflict the second all-out of the game over the opponents.

Bengal tried their best to keep the point difference under seven points in the closing minutes of the game to leave with a minimum of one point to their name but a multi-point raid from Guman in the last minute of the game shattered all hopes for the Warriors. The Bengal-based side had to settle with a defeat and are now at the tenth position in the league table with just 41 points to their name and will have to win their remaining games if they wish to make their way into the playoffs.

The Pirates with the win-now have sixty points in their sixteen games and have comfortably positioned themselves over their competitors for the top spot in the league stable. Patna has a one-game advantage over Dabang Delhi who are in the second spot on the table with fifty-seven points against their name. The Bengaluru Bulls have 54 points in their bag in 18 appearances and will be aiming to finish in the top two spots.