PKL 12 Mini Qualifier: Telugu Titans Beat Bengaluru Bulls 37-32, Book Place in Eliminator 3
Telugu Titans defeated Bengaluru Bulls 37-32 in the Mini Qualifier match of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 at Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Sunday. With this win, the Titans have moved to Eliminator 3.
Even though Bengaluru Bulls lost this match, they still have another chance to move forward in the playoffs. The Bulls will now face Patna Pirates in Eliminator 2, who beat Jaipur Pink Panthers earlier in the day.
Bharat and Vijay Malik Lead Titans to Victory
Telugu Titans captain Vijay Malik scored 10 points while star raider Bharat scored 12 points to help their team win the match. For Bengaluru Bulls, Alireza scored 11 points but his effort was not enough to give his team the win.
However, Alireza will get another chance to take his team forward in the playoffs. On the other side, Telugu Titans will now play in Eliminator 3.
First Quarter Sees Close Battle
Bharat scored three points in two raids at the start of the match but was then caught and sent to the bench. However, the Titans defense gave their team a 5-2 lead soon after.
Deepak caught Bharat with an ankle hold when he came back after revival. Bengaluru Bulls then made a great comeback and tied the score at 6-6. They also brought Telugu Titans to a super tackle situation. But super-sub Chetan scored two points and saved his team from this situation. The first quarter ended 10-8 in favor of Telugu Titans.
Second Quarter Sees Both Teams Fight Hard
After the break, Telugu Titans scored five points compared to Bulls’ four points to keep their lead. The Titans defense made a big catch when they tackled Aashish. Akash then got Bharat out to settle the score.
Bulls then caught Chetan in a do-or-die raid and made the score 14-16 by halftime.
Bulls Take Lead After All-Out
Five minutes into the second half, Aashish Malik scored a multi-point raid to reduce the gap to just one point. Then Bengaluru Bulls got an all-out and took a 21-20 lead.
With the help of Alireza’s multi-point raid, the Bulls took a three-point lead. But Bharat scored two points in one raid to bring the gap back to one. Then Ajit tackled Akash to make the score 24-24 after 30 minutes of play.
Titans Take Control in Final Moments
After the break, Sagar tackled Alireza and brought Bengaluru Bulls to a super tackle situation. Bharat also got revived during this. As soon as he came back, Bharat brought Bulls down to just two players on the mat.
Bharat, who had already completed his Super 10, then caught Deepak. Telugu Titans then got an all-out and took a 31-28 lead. Two and a quarter minutes were left and Telugu Titans had built a four-point lead.
Ganesh got Sagar out in his first raid to reduce the gap to three points. But Bharat got Sahil out and made the score 35-31. However, Vijay increased the lead to five points and made sure of his team’s win.
What’s Next for Both Teams
Telugu Titans will now play in Eliminator 3. Their next match will be against the winner of Eliminator 2.
Bengaluru Bulls will face Patna Pirates in Eliminator 2 on Monday. The Pirates won their Eliminator 1 match against Jaipur Pink Panthers earlier on Sunday and are on a seven-match winning streak.
This was an important win for Telugu Titans who are playing in the playoffs for the first time since Season 4. The team finished fourth in the league stage under coach Krishan Kumar Hooda.
Bengaluru Bulls finished third in the league stage and were on a strong winning run before this loss. The Bulls have been one of the surprise teams of the season with their young and inexperienced squad.
The loser of Eliminator 2 will go home while the winner will face Telugu Titans in Eliminator 3.
