PKL Season 12: Bengaluru Bulls climb to fourth place in the points table with their third consecutive win

Powered by stellar performances from Alireza Mirzaean (18 points) and defender Deepak Shankar (6 points), the Bengaluru Bulls defeated Bengal Warriors 43–32 in the 80th match of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Sunday. This marked the Bulls’ third consecutive victory, taking them to fourth place in the points table. For Bengal, despite Devank Dalal’s Super 10 (13 points), the team suffered its ninth defeat in 13 matches.

In the opening seven minutes, Bengal were trailing, but thanks to Devank’s raids and strong defensive play, they not only took the lead but also pushed the Bulls to the brink of an all-out. The Bulls were down to just one player, but Alireza dismissed Manjeet, saving the all-out and closing the gap to 9–10 by the 10-minute mark.

Even after the break, Bengal kept pressing for an all-out, but once again Alireza thwarted them by getting Ashish out and equalizing the score at 11–11. Alireza then super-tackled Himanshu to give Bulls a 13–11 lead. Devank responded by getting Satyappa out, reducing Bulls to two players again. Alireza, however, cheekily took a bonus point to frustrate Bengal, though Devank got him out in the next raid.

It seemed as if the Bulls were guided by some invisible force — every player who came on the mat made an impact. This time, Ganesh Hanmantgol pulled off a super raid to once again save the Bulls from an all-out, taking the score to 17–13. Devank got Sahil out to limit the Bulls to two players, but Ashish produced a super tackle to make it 20–14.

The harder Bengal tried to inflict an all-out, the stronger the Bulls became. By halftime, after repeatedly saving all-outs, the Bulls had established a 22–15 lead.

After the break, Bengal finally managed to inflict an all-out and closed the gap to 20–23. Soon after, Devank completed his Super 10, but Alireza responded with a super raid, restoring a 6-point cushion. During this period, Alireza also completed his Super 10.

Bengal’s defense brought them a brief moment of success when Ankitan super-tackled Alireza to make it 24–29, but the Bulls didn’t allow them to capitalize. They soon inflicted an all-out on Bengal, extending their lead to 35–26 by the 30-minute mark.

In the final quarter, Bengal tried to stage a comeback, but the Bulls maintained their dominance. At one stage, they led 40–29, moving confidently toward victory. Although Devank continued his fightback attempts, Deepak Shankar tackled him decisively, ending any remaining hopes for Bengal.

In the closing moments, the Bulls nearly inflicted another all-out on Bengal, sealing a comprehensive 43–32 win — their third in a row and one that solidified their position among the top teams in PKL Season 12.