PKL 10: Zafardanesh helps U Mumba get better of U.P Yoddhas 34-31 in their first match

Fine performances by Amirmohammad Zafardanesh (11 points), Rinku and Guman Singh ensured that U Mumba would walk away with a 34-31 win against U.P. Yoddhas on the opening day of Season 10 of the I-League 2023-24 in Ahmedabad, on Saturday.

A compact and in-form U Mumbai turned on the style in their tournament opener as they swatted away the challenge of the traditional powerhouse from Uttar Pradesh.

The Mumbai side got the better of the early exchanges in the first half, keeping the dangerous raiding unit of the U.P. Yoddhas at arm’s length.

Always quite efficient in attack, Pardeep had a slow start to his season and that was reflected on the scoreline. For U Mumba, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh was leading the charge with three successful raids early on, which put pressure on the opposition.

In the final 10 minutes of the first half, the well-drilled U Mumba continued to tighten the screws on the U. P. Yoddhas and began to pull away with the lead at 7 points at one point.

Rinku had put in a few big tackles while Zafardanesh was getting significant raid points to his name. U.P. Yoddhas’ Pardeep failed to get a point his way in the first half, which ended with the U Mumba 5 points ahead.

The U.P. Yoddhas started with a Super Tackle in the first half, however, it did not take too long for the U Mumba side to get back in their groove.

Zafardanesh, Rinku and Guman Singh were on fire and looking to take the game away. But, the U.P. Yoddhas were also starting to claw their way back into the game and landed an All-Out on Zafardanesh, which brought them right back into the contest.

The contest was heading for a close finish, and with ten minutes to go, the U.P. Yoddhas were 4 points behind. Zafardanesh had registered his first Super 10 of the season while Surinder Gill nearly got one for U.P. Yoddhas.

The fans cheered on both teams, who were matching each other move for move. With five minutes to go,

Surinder Gill failed to make a Do or Die raid count, allowing U Mumba some breathing space, who surged into a 4-point lead. Eventually, the U.P. Yoddhas weren’t able to mount a comeback and U Mumba came away with a comfortable win.

 (IANS)