PKL Season 12: Titans Strengthen Hold on Third Spot with Win Over Gujarat

Telugu Titans defeated Gujarat Giants 30-25 in the 97th match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Sunday. With their 10th win in 17 matches, the Titans have solidified their position in third place on the points table, while Gujarat, suffering their 10th loss in 16 games, now face a near-impossible road to the playoffs.

For the Titans, captain Vijay Malik (8 points) and Bharat (7 points) led the charge in attack, while Ankit (4 points) contributed well in defense. For Gujarat, Himanshu Singh scored 6 points, HS Rakesh added 5, and Lucky picked up 4 points in defense.

Both teams began cautiously, and after six minutes, the score was tied at 4-4. Titans then took a 6-4 lead with two consecutive points, but Gujarat responded strongly through raids and tackles to level the score by the end of the first quarter. After the break, both teams added one defensive point each before Himanshu got Ankit out to give Gujarat their first lead. However, Vijay quickly leveled it again at 8-8.

The Titans then took three consecutive points to go up by three, but Gujarat fought back with three of their own to make it even again. The halftime score read 11-11. Two minutes into the second half, the score remained tied at 13-13, but Titans soon created a three-point cushion. Vishwanth scored on a do-or-die raid to make it 14-16, and Lucky’s tackle on Bharat reduced the gap to just one point.

Both teams traded points during Himanshu’s raid, and by the 30-minute mark, the score was level again at 17-17. Titans then tightened their grip, with Bharat’s multi-point raid taking the score to 21-18. Soon after, Titans forced Gujarat into a super tackle situation and executed an all-out to extend their lead to 24-19. After the all-out, Gujarat managed to score three points to Titans’ two, narrowing the gap to four.

By the 38th minute, the margin remained the same, but Ajit’s tackle on Shadlu pushed the score to 28-23. From there, Gujarat’s comeback hopes faded. Despite reducing the deficit to three points, Gujarat ultimately succumbed to their 10th defeat of the season, a loss that has all but shut the doors to the playoffs for them.