Pro Kabaddi: Telugu Titans and U Mumba sizzle
Telgu Titans notched up an emphatic win over Puneri Paltans, defeating them 45-24. (Source: PTI)
Titans outclass Paltans
Match Summary
Telugu Titans move up to second position on the points table, with a 45-24 win. They have now won both their games in the second season. Puneri Paltans in the meanwhile took their notorious losing streak to seven games, continuing from previous edition. The last time the Pune-based franchise won a game was on August 13 against the Bengal Warriors last year.
Face-Off
Wazir Singh vs Meraj Sheykh – Angry stares were shared when Wazir claimed a touch on the Iranian, who wildly waved his objection. The referees didn’t agree with the raider, further intensifying the tackles between the two.
Play of the day
With four Pune players left on the mat, Rahul Chaudhari managed to get three out in a single raid. The move led to the first of three occasions where the Titans inflicted an all-out on their opponents.
Flop show
Wazir Singh walked in to his first raid to a standing ovation. He was eliminated in the very next move. There was no wild cheering the next time he went out to raid.
U Mumba seal top spot
Match Summary
The home team sealed their spot on the top of the table, just as they did at this stage of the season last year. Beating the Pirates 25-20 on the night also maintains their unbeaten run against the Patna-based franchise.
Face-Off
Anup Kumar vs Rakesh Kumar — Good friends off the court, the pair’s inability to tackle each other was the most conspicuous feat. Yet it’s not that they didn’t try. Anup would slowly creep towards Rakesh, who would struggle to get a well-timed tackle. The same happened when Rakesh went for a raid — Anup would twitch uncontrollably before his opposite number moved away.
Play of the day
Shabeer Sharfudeen had just three opponents to face when he went for a raid, but after tagging two defenders, he still needed to run the entire length of the half just to get back to the mid-line.
Flop show
Ten raids should be good enough for an attacker to notch up a decent number of points. But Rakesh Kumar spent nine without attempting a touch. The only time he did, he was brought down.
