Lionel Messi
PKL 9: Surender Gill powers U.P. Yoddhas to big win over Telugu Titans
Gill (13 points) was the undoubted star of the day, while Siddharth Desai's (11 points) phenomenal effort came in a losing effort. Even though the Titans, under pressure and lacking confidence, are stuck at the bottom of the table, the early stages of this match-up defied the predictions. The Titans matched the Yoddhas raid-for-raid, and with neither defence firing -- it took almost 10 minutes for the first tackle point -- the game looked set to be a high-scoring encounter.
PKL 9: Ashish's last-second raid hands U Mumba thrilling win over Puneri Paltan
U Mumbai and Puneri Paltan were engaged in a neck-and-neck battle but the Mumbai side played its cards better in the last few minutes of the match to eventually defeat Puneri Paltan 34-33 on the night. Aslam Inamdar picked up a couple of raid points as the Puneri Paltan inched ahead at 4-3 in the 8th minute. However, Guman Singh pulled off a Super Raid, catching out Sombir.
PKL 9: Patna Pirates defeat Jaipur Pink Panthers, continue stupendous form
Sachin (8 points), Rohit Gulia (9 points) and all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (5 points) were the star performers for Patna Pirates in their victory. In the opening stages, both teams matched each other point-for-point, almost every raid resulting in high-octane action. The difference was in the variety. While the Pirates' points came through the combination of Rohit Gulia and Sachin, the Pink Panthers were reliant solely on the raids of Arjun Deshwal, who scored almost all their raid points in the half.
PKL 9: Puneri Paltan, Haryana Steelers play out a thrilling draw
The Paltans made an explosive start with Mohit Goyat starting off with a Super Raid. A close review by the Paltans also worked out in their favour, as they had the momentum in their corner, playing at home for the first time this season. Midway through the first half, the Paltans were in control and had a slender 1-point lead, with both sides being watchful in their approach. Cheered on by the home support, the Paltans raged on as Fazel Atrachali and co tackled emphatically, giving themselves a 3-point lead at 13-10 in the end of the first half.
PKL 9: U.P. Yoddhas put on defensive masterclass to defeat Tamil Thalaivas 41-24
Raider Pardeep Narwal also chipped in with six points and with that became the first player to score to cross 1400 raid points in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League. The game kicked off with the Thalaivas taking out U.P. Yoddhas' two lead raiders, Pardeep Narwal and Surender Gill in their first two raids. Within minutes though the Yoddhas had recomposed themselves and clawed back to take the lead.
PKL 9: Bengaluru Bulls script amazing comeback to tie 31-31 with Patna Pirates
Going into the last minute of the match, the Pirates held a comfortable lead, but the Bulls inflicted an All Out and tackled Rohit Gulia to tie the match at 31-31. Sachin effected a few raids as the Patna Pirates took the lead at 6-4 in the 9th minute. Manish tackled Vikash Kandola to help the Pirates widen their lead further. The side from Patna inflicted an All Out in the 11th minute to take a massive lead at 12-5. Bharat pulled off a fantastic multi-point raid in the 14th minute, but the Pirates continued to dominate the match at 16-7.
PKL 9: Rakesh and Sourav lead Gujarat Giants to a comprehensive victory against Haryana Steelers
The Giants, who have now won two matches in a row, triumphed with the score reading 42-38. The Steelers had the better start on the night, with the raiders and the defensive unit working in tandem, especially with Amirhossein Bastami causing some serious problems early on. However, the Giants edged ahead through Rakesh's raids before Jaideep and Mohit brought the Steelers back into the match.
PKL 9: Captain Fazel Atrachali stars in Puneri Paltan's victory over Bengal Warriors
While Atrachali excelled in defense, raider Aslam Inamdar starred in attack, scoring five points. Maninder Singh effected a few raids as the Bengal Warriors took the lead at 6-5 in the 6th minute. However, Fazel Atrachali tackled Maninder soon after and levelled the scores at 6-6.
PKL 9: Naveen is giving confidence to all players, says Dabang Delhi coach Krishan Hooda
Speaking about the reasons behind their success, Dabang Delhi KC head coach Krishan Hooda said, "The captain is carrying out all his responsibilities. The captain's job is to see that the combinations work on the mat, because the coach is sitting on the sidelines. The entire team is supporting him and Naveen is supporting his team members."
PKL 9: Dabang Delhi KC pull off improbable comeback win against UP Yoddhas
Billed as a clash between UP Yoddhas' record-breaking raider Pardeep Narwal and Delhi's young phenomenon Naveen Kumar, the action did not disappoint. It was the Yoddhas' defence, who, in the early stages, looked impenetrable and had Delhi on the ropes. They initiated the first ALL OUT of the game with just seven minutes gone to take a commanding 11-4 lead.
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