Bharat Hooda marked his 100th PKL game with an absolute masterclass, registering 20 points – including 16 raid points and 4 tackle points. Meanwhile, Vijay Malik also contributed with eight points on the night.
It was a confident start from the Telugu Titans, who got out of the starting blocks in a flash and put the defending champions under pressure. Bharat Hooda set the tone with a multi-point raid and Vijay Malik followed with a two-point raid of his own, giving the team a 6-0 lead in the early stages. For the Steelers, Vinay opened their scoring with a bonus point as they struggled to find their rhythm.
It didn’t take long for the Titans to make their first ALL OUT thanks to a tackle from Ajit Pawar. Bharat Hooda did nothing wrong as his team continued to dominate and extended their lead to thirteen points thanks to a tackle from Ankit. The Haryana Steelers finally showed their skills and found a way back into this competition.
Mayank Saini’s super raid and a super tackle from Rahul Ahri helped them reduce the deficit to eight points. Shivam Patare then made his presence felt at both ends of the mat before Vinay executed an ALL OUT to end the game with two points.
However, there was no respite for Bharat Hooda as he ended his Super 10 with a successful do-or-die raid. The all-rounder proved unstoppable on both offense and defense and almost single-handedly ensured that the Telugu Titans got their second ALL OUT just before half-time and regained their ten-point lead with a score of 26:16.
Despite their clear lead, the Telugu Titans did not take their foot off the accelerator in the second half. Vijay Malik started filling in for his team, with Bharat Hooda continuing to be a prominent figure. A super tackle from Jaideep Dahiya briefly cut the lead to twelve points, but the Titans soon added a third ALL OUT, making it a seventeen point game.
With their huge lead, the Titans were in full control of the game in the final quarter, making it just a formality. Shubham Shinde, Avi Duhan and Ankit recorded tackles, putting the outcome of the game beyond doubt. Haryana Steelers’ youngsters contributed with a super tackle from Ankit Dhull and some raids from Jaya Soorya and Nepal’s Ghanshyam Magar.
In the end, however, the difference between the two teams was too great for the defending champions to compensate. Bharat Hooda stole the show on the night with 20 points to ensure Telugu Titans registered their fifth win in a row, handing the defending champions their fifth defeat in a row.
