Bengaluru Bulls climb to top of standings after win against Tamil Thalaivas

Bengaluru Bulls survived two late surges by Tamil Thalaivas to register a 40-34 victory in vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 9 at the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi in Pune on Sunday. Raider Bharat (14 points) was exceptional for the Bulls, although the real difference was made by Neeraj Narwal and Saurabh Nandal's defending in the final minutes of the game. 

The Bulls, riding on consecutive Super Raids by Bharat, inflicted the first All-Out on the Thalaivas within the first five minutes of the game. At that time, it seemed like the Bulls would dominate the entire game. However, the Thalaivas rallied together with their constant pressure and Narender's constant raiding success keeping them in the game. In the final five minutes of the half though, they didn’t just wipe out the Bulls' lead but also surged into the lead and went into the halftime break leading 19-18.  

The capitulation stung the Bulls hard, and their second half performance was a reaction to that more than anything else. In a repeat of the first half, they inflicted a second All-Out on the Thalaivas early on, retaking a 28-25 lead. And yet again, the Thalaivas rallied. 

The last five minutes were a blur of action. Much like the first half, the Thalaivas again applied all the pressure, as the Bulls fell apart. With another All-Out looming over them, Neeraj Narwal pulled off a Super Tackle on Ajinkya Pawar to stem the bleeding. It was a tackle that not just ensured they stayed ahead on the scoreboard but also reignited them. Soon enough, they had achieved a great lead, winning in the end by a comfortable six point margin. 

Top Performers

Tamil Thalaivas

Best Raider - Narender (9 Raid Points)

Best Defender - Mohit (4 Tackle Points)

Bengaluru Bulls

Best Raider - Bharat (14 Raid Points)

Best Defender - Saurabh Nandal (5 Tackle Points)

Where to watch vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 9 LIVE?

Catch all the LIVE action from vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 9 on the Star Sports Network and LIVE streaming on Disney+Hotstar.