India soar over Iran to bag the Champion crown

India lived up to their tag of being the undisputed world champions as they blew apart a hapless Iranian side by a 44-26 scoreline at the Al Wasl Sports Club in Dubai on Saturday in the Final. Captain Ajay Thakur was yet again the most lethal raider on the mat, falling just one short of another Super 10, assisted ably by Monu Goyat, who scored six raid points.

India’s approach to the title-decider was fuelled with intent as they ripped Iran apart in the first few minutes. While Thakur’s men picked up quick points, Iran could only score their first in the fourth minute. However, within the next three minutes they were handed their first All-Out of the night, with the scoreline reading 10-3 in India’s favour.  

Thakur and Goyat continued their onslaught while Hadi Tajik tried to bring Iran back in the game with a super tackle. Points continued to be heaped on the scoreboard from either end, though India held the upper-hand. Thus, when the half-time whistle blew, India held a seven-point lead, with the scoreline reading 18-11 in their favour.

The second half opened in a similar fashion with Iran succumbing to their second All-Out of the match and India’s lead growing to 12 points. However, Iran was not ready to lose hope and tried pulling a comeback. A super tackle combined with a two-point raid from Mohammad Nabibakhsh gave Iran some quick points on the board.

But India, being the powerhouse they are, brought themselves back from the brink of an All-Out to force a third successive one on Iran, taking the scoreline to 44-22. With a mammoth 22 points differentiating the sides, the outcome of the match was undeniable. Iran, however, ended their lost campaign with a super raid through Mohammad Ghorbani, taking the scoreline to 44-26 at the end of regulation time.