In a riveting Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) showdown at the EKA Arena on Tuesday, Sonu Jaglan once again played the role of the Gujarat Giants’ hero, guiding them to a thrilling 39-37 victory over U Mumba. The significance of the triumph was heightened by Fazel Atrachali’s 100th game as captain.
The early minutes of the match saw a lead exchange between the teams, with U Mumba taking a 7-5 lead in the fifth minute, courtesy of a two-point raid by Guman Singh. The Giants introduced Sonu Jaglan in the seventh minute, their star player, although he initially faced challenges getting into the game.
Rakesh HS came to the Giants’ rescue, scoring a bonus point and executing a running hand touch on Rinku Singh to give his team a narrow lead at 10-9. However, U Mumba surged ahead in the eleventh minute, securing a 12-10 lead with Mahender Singh’s incredible “Super Tackle” and extending it to a six-point advantage after Guman’s successful raid and Sonu’s crucial tackle.
As the first half approached its end, Fazel Atrachali turned the tables with two magical moments. He first executed a raid to defeat U Mumba’s captain, Surinder Singh, and then pulled off a “Super Tackle” to level the score at 16–18.
In the second half, the Giants drew even following Sonu’s first raid point, and he went on to secure two decisive points against Rinku Singh and Mahender, leaving U Mumba with just one player on the mat. The Giants capitalized on this situation, executing an ‘All Out’ on U Mumba during the very next raid, taking a 23–19 lead.
With a robust defense and exceptional raiding from Sonu, the Giants further extended their lead to 30–22 by halftime. Despite U Mumba’s valiant efforts in the second half, including Guman’s successful attempts and rapid raids from Iranian players Zafardanesh and Rane, they managed to close the gap to 30-34.
In a dramatic turn of events with less than two minutes remaining, Zafardanesh surpassed Manuj and Fazel to force another ‘All Out,’ leveling the score for U Mumba. However, in the final moments, Sonu emerged victorious, executing an incredible three-point ‘Super Raid,’ leading the Giants to their third consecutive victory and securing his third straight ‘Super 10.’
Looking ahead, Wednesday’s PKL matches feature Telugu Titans against Patna Pirates at 8 pm and U.P. Yoddhas against Haryana Steelers at 9 pm.
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