An all-round performance gave U.P. Yoddhas a brilliant 35-31 win over Gujarat Giants in the second game of the evening at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday. Pardeep Narwal got his 1500th raid point in vivo Pro Kabaddi as he finished with 9 points in the match to help the Yoddhas to victory. 

A slow start saw U.P. Yoddhas score five consecutive points before the Giants had even opened their account. It took the Giants seven minutes to register their first point of the game and when they did, the Yoddhas, led by Pardeep Narwal hit them with a series of touch points to leave them on the verge of an All-Out. Pardeep cleaned up the remaining two Giants defenders to inflict the first All-Out of the game and take a 13-2 lead. That raid also saw him extend his all time numbers, as he registered 1500 raid points in the league.

Despite a brief Giants fightback, the Yoddhas stayed in complete control, their raiders perfectly complemented by a smart defence. The Yoddhas went into the break leading 20-10.

Stung by their first half capitulation, the Giants sprinted out of the gates in the second and had, within the first five minutes, cut the lead by half. They inflicted an All-Out of their own to reduce the lead to one point. Thereafter, both teams started trading blows on almost every raid. 

The Giants kept the pressure on the Yoddhas and ensured that they never got too safe. In the last two minutes, the difference between the two teams never extended beyond two points, and with the last raid, the Giants needed success to get something from the game. However, a Super Tackle by the Yoddhas on Dhaiya closed the doors on the Giants’ hopes in the end.

Top Performers

U.P. Yoddhas

Best Raider – Pardeep Narwal (9 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Rohit Tomar (5 Tackle Points)

Gujarat Giants

Best Raider – Parteek Dhaiya (10 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Arkam Shaikh (3 Tackle Points)