PKL 2025: U Mumba edged past Patna Pirates by a single point in a last-raid thriller

In the penultimate game of the first leg of PKL 12, U Mumba edged past the Patna Pirates in a nail-biting contest, pulling off a thrilling 40-39 victory at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag on Thursday.

Ayan Lohchab scripted history to become the first player to record successive 20-point games in PKL history, but was left heartbroken as a costly unforced error in the dying seconds tilted the game away from his side.

For U Mumba, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh starred with a Super 10, while Anil made vital contributions in what turned out to be a high-scoring night.

U Mumba were quick off the blocks in this contest, as Vijay Kumar tackled Ayan Lohchab and Anil recorded a two-point raid to give the Season 2 champions a three-point lead.

Milan Dahiya opened the scoring for the Patna Pirates, and they were soon back on level terms courtesy of a successful Do-or-Die raid from Ayan.

Zafardanesh then helped U Mumba regain the lead with a brilliant Super Raid, as his side began to take control of the game, opening up a six-point gap.

On the brink of an 'All Out', Ayan Lohchab stood tall for the Pirates with his brilliance on the offensive end, reducing the deficit to just two points, with the score at 9-11 after the first quarter.

U Mumba eventually inflicted the 'All Out' on their opponents, with captain Sunil Kumar leading the way through his first tackle of the night. The Anil Chaprana-led side looked defensively superior, maintaining a seven-point gap with under five minutes left in the first half.

Ayan Lohchab continued his fine form, completing his Super 10 in the opening half. Despite his best efforts, the Patna Pirates trailed by eight points at the break, with the score reading 23-15.

In the opening five minutes of the second half, the Patna Pirates came storming back into the contest. There was no stopping Ayan Lohchab, as his brilliance helped his side inflict their first 'All Out' and bring the scores level. The two teams continued to trade blows, with the scoreboard reading 29-29 heading into the final ten minutes.

Anil and Zafardanesh kept U Mumba in the fight, but Ayan remained unstoppable, keeping the Pirates narrowly ahead with a two-point lead as the clock ticked down to the last five minutes.

Zafardanesh then completed his Super 10, pulling U Mumba back on level terms at 34-34. However, the Pirates regained the advantage thanks to Ayan Lohchab’s sensational effort, as he notched up his second successive 20-point performance.

With under two minutes left, a timely Super Tackle from U Mumba cut the deficit to just one point. Zafardanesh struck with a four-second raid to keep U Mumba in the game, levelling the scores with less than five seconds remaining.

As a tie-breaker seemed imminent, it seemed like a final chance for Ayan to seal victory in the last raid. But in the heat of the moment, he committed an unforced error by stepping into the lobby, a mistake that cost his team dearly and handed U Mumba the narrowest of wins.

Another win for Dabang Delhi as they reign supreme over Gujarat Giants

Dabang Delhi K.C. wrapped up the Vizag leg of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 with a commanding 38-28 win over Gujarat Giants at the Vishwanadh Sports Club on Thursday.

Skipper Ashu Malik led the charge with 14 points, while Fazel Atrachali’s High Five anchored the defence as the side continued their unbeaten start to the season.

The table toppers led 8-6 at the 10-minute mark, with Ajinkya Pawar and Ashu Malik combining for five raid points and Fazel Atrachali and Sandeep holding firm in defence. Ajinkya delivered in Do-Or-Die situations, while Ashu dismissed Shadloui to keep the Season 8 champions ahead.

For the Giants, Aryavardhan Navale stood out with three raid points, supported by Rakesh’s couple of strikes. However, missed Do-Or-Die opportunities meant the Giants couldn’t fully capitalise on Dabang Delhi’s empty raids, leaving the contest finely balanced in the opening phase.

However, the script changed in the second phase of the game. Sandeep Deswal successfully tackled Rakesh, and Ashu followed it up with consecutive successful raids, first dismissing Shubham Kumar and then Sumit. This reduced the Giants to just one player – Parteek Dahiya – who was eventually brought down by Fazel Atrachali, inflicting the 'All Out'.

This set the tone for the remainder of the first half. Shadloui struggled to make an impact and failed to open his account, while Ashu, recovering from a slow start, produced two consecutive multi-point raids to complete his fifth straight Super 10. With strong support from Ajinkya, Dabang Delhi went into the break with a commanding 21-14 lead.

Another 'All Out' loomed over the Giants after multiple successful raids from Dabang Delhi, but Rakesh pulled it back with a touch point on Surjeet Singh. This was followed by a Super Tackle when Ashu stepped into the lobby by mistake.

However, it proved to be just a mini comeback, as the 'All Out' arrived before the end of the third quarter. Shadloui continued to struggle, and Rakesh failed to impress after being tackled by Saurabh Nandal.

Aryavardhan was brought down by Fazel, and Ashu picked off Shadloui with a touch point to inflict the second 'All Out', leaving the score at 31-21 with 10 minutes to play.

In what seemed like a consolation, Parteek Dahiya managed a successful raid against Neeraj Narwal, followed by a multi-point raid that dismissed Surjeet and Sandeep. But for every point the Giants scored, Dabang Delhi had an immediate response.

As the match drew to a close, Dabang Delhi sealed yet another commanding win, with Fazel Atrachali completing his High Five after tackling Parteek.

Shadloui finally opened his account with successful tackles on Ajinkya and Mohit, but it was too little too late. Led confidently by Ashu Malik, Dabang Delhi wrapped up a 10-point victory to make it five wins in five.