U Mumba vs Haryana Steelers: In the most thrilling encounter of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12, Haryana Steelers outsmarted U Mumba with a neck-and-neck tie-breaker finish at the Vishwanadh Sports Club, Vizag, on Wednesday.
The intense U Mumba vs Haryana Steelers showdown became the third tie-breaker in only 12 matches of the season and had impressive performances by Naveen Kumar, Shivam Patare, and Ajit Chouhan.
U Mumba Dominate Early With Record Fast All-Out
U Mumba started aggressively, grabbing a 5-0 lead in minutes. Ajit Chouhan scored first and continued with some raid points while Haryana Steelers struggled to settle into the game.
Pressure built rapidly, and by the 6th minute, U Mumba enforced the quickest All-Out of PKL Season 12, leaving the Steelers struggling on the back foot at 2-12. Ajit sustained his rich vein of form, maintaining the pace with U Mumba with a consistent stream of raid points.
Haryana Steelers Stage a Comeback
There was an early blow to the hopes of the defending champions, but they remained calm. The deficit narrowed to 8-14 as early as the 10th minute. Shivam Patare’s timely tackle on Ajit Chouhan proved to be the game-changer as it resulted in a Steelers’ All-Out against U Mumba and the score narrowed to 12-16.
The second half continued to fluctuate, with Vinay’s raid and late tackle on Ajit equalizing the scores at 20-20. U Mumba retaliated strongly and took the break with a 23-20 lead, leaving the game nicely poised.
Second Half: Naveen Kumar’s Brilliance Keeps Steelers in the Game
U Mumba began the second half in scoring momentum, taking their lead to 26-21 with calm raids by Sandeep and a Super 10 by Ajit Chouhan. However, Haryana Steelers’ Naveen Kumar took up the mantle, scoring two consecutive raid points to cut the lead down to 23-26.
In the last quarter, Naveen maintained the Steelers in the game. With only three minutes remaining, he threw a breathtaking Super Raid, causing an All-Out and taking Haryana ahead for the first time, at 34-33.
Final Moments: Scores Even at 36-36, Game Goes into Tie-Breaker
With U Mumba collecting a late bonus point, the scores were tied at 34-34. Shivam Patare scored to put Haryana in the lead, when Ajit Chouhan leveled immediately. In the last seconds, Ajit made a Do-or-Die raid, but the Steelers’ defense did not give way and pulled the match into a tie-breaker at 36-36.
Tie-Breaker: Shivam Patare’s Super Raid Stuns U Mumba
Both the teams shared rapid points in the tie-breaker stage. Sunil Kumar and Sandeep opened for U Mumba, but Ajit Chouhan carried on his good form. However, Haryana Steelers countered with a robust attack as Jaya Soorya and Vinay made crucial raid points.
The turning point was provided by Shivam Patare, who executed a breathtaking Super Raid, getting rid of Rohit Raghav, Sandeep, and Rinku in the process. One such raid turned the tables entirely in Haryana’s favour.
Thanks to U Mumba’s desperate gallantry, it was ultimately a nail-biting tie-breaker that saw the Steelers keeping their cool and pocketing their inaugural win of PKL Season 12.
U Mumba vs Haryana Steelers: Key Performers
Ajit Chouhan (U Mumba) – Super 10 and important raids during the game
Naveen Kumar (Haryana Steelers) – Super Raid that changed the game and important second-half points
Shivam Patare (Haryana Steelers) – Important tackle + winning Super Raid in tie-breaker
Vinay (Haryana Steelers) – Important raids that turned around momentum in regular time and tie-breaker
PKL Season 12: Match Timetable for Thursday, September 4
Match 1: Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Telugu Titans
Match 2: Puneri Paltan vs Dabang Delhi K.C.
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