Telugu Titans secure a comeback in the last raid of the game to hold Haryana Steelers to a stalemate

The Haryana Steelers locked horns against the Telugu Titans in the 77th fixture of the Pro Kabaddi League 8. The Haryana-based franchise stepped on the mat with a three-game winning streak to their name. The Titans after their loss against the Bengaluru Bulls bounced back as they managed to hold off the Steelers 39-39, in their contest tonight.

Vikash Kandola will be disappointed with how the night turned out for the Haryana Steelers as the team bottled the game in the final minutes of the game, to finish 39-39 at the end of the final whistle. Sandeep Kandola rained on the raider’s parade, scoring a tackle point in the closing minutes of the game to score the equalizer for the South Indian franchise.

Vikash started the proceeding with a stellar hand touch on the right corner, scoring the first point of the game. The raider was electric for his side in the first half of the game as the player made multiple dents against the Titans side. The South Indian franchise fired back with skipper, Rohit Kumar and Ankit Beniwal spearheading the raiding department to keep their side in the game.

Both the teams tried to outscore each other at every provided opportunity, with Vikash Kandola grabbing the moment with open arms, scoring a Super Raid in the 10th minute of the game to give the Haryana-based side a six-point lead. The Titans however made a strong comeback in the game with a super tackle courtesy of Ruturaj Koravi, to the Steelers from running away with the game.

The Steelers managed to inflict the first all-out of the game on their opponents in the 15th minute of the game, to give themselves a ten-point lead over their opponents. However, the South Indian side fired back and returned the favor within the next three minutes to reduce the score difference to just one point leading into the second half.

Both the teams started off slow in the second half, trying to get the better of their opponents in the third raid. Rohit Kumar broke the deadlock in the game, as the raider used his brute force to push past three defenders to touch the mid-line to score three crucial points for his side, signaling their comeback in the game.

Both the sides were evenly matched in the closing five minutes of the game, with Steelers gaining an upper hand over their opponents as they thumped another all-out on the South Indian side gaining a three-point lead with just two minutes remaining in the game. Luck however favored the Titans, as their opponents known for their defensive strength faltered in the final minute of the game, opening a door for their comeback.

Sandeep Kandola was the star of the night for the Telugu Titans as the defender executed an amazing ankle hold on Vikash in the last raid of the game, to even the odds as both sides settled on 39 points at the call of the final whistle. 

The Haryana Steelers will have to shrug off this last-minute upset as the side will look to consolidate their place in the top six on in points table with eight games still in their hand. On the other hand, the Telugu Titans side will be rejuvenated with their comeback in the game and will look to carry their momentum from the game as they face the defending champion, Bengal Warriors on Saturday in the Pro Kabaddi League season 8.