Manjeet, Siddharth Desai score Super 10s as Telugu Titans and Tamil Thalaivas share the spoils

A spectacular back-and-forth game between the Telugu Titans and Tamil Thalaivas finished with the two teams sharing the spoils after a 40-40 tie in match 2 of the vivo Pro Kabaddi League in Bengaluru. Siddharth Desai led the Titans with 11 points, while Manjeet was the star of the show for the Thalaivas, scoring 12 points.  

In the first few minutes, the match was a cagey affair, with both teams matching the other blow-for-blow. But a pair of great tackles by Ruturaj Koravi on either side of a raid point by Rajnish helped the Titans reduce the Thailavas down to just three players. They made short work of the remaining men on the mat, inflicting the game’s first All Out to take a 12-6 lead.

The contest returned to being a cautious affair for the next few minutes; however, a Super Raid followed by another successful raid from Manjeet turned the tide in the Thalaivas’ favour, who inflicted an All Out on the Titans to level the score at 20-20. The Thalaivas finished the half with a 3-1 run to go into halftime with a 23-21 lead.

The Thalaivas carried their momentum into the second half and quickly reduced the Titans down to just three. With their raiders struggling, Telugu’s defence stood firm to keep the score close, but the Thalaivas eventually managed to break through their resistance and inflict the All Out to take a five-point lead midway through the second half.

The Thalaivas continued to build their lead, as their defence stifled the Siddharth Desai and co. and helped their side build a nine-point lead. However, a couple of spectacular raids from the Titans, including a Super Raid from Desai, yielded five points and turned the game on its head. The Titans’ 10-point blitz saw them take a two-point lead with just under two minutes left in the game.

The Thalaivas responded to this surprising setback by scoring three straight points to take a one-point lead, but the Titans’ defence came through in the final raid of the game, pinning down Manjeet in a do-or-die situation to help their side earn a draw.

Top Performers

Telugu Titans

Best Raider – Siddharth Desai (11 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Sandeep Kandola (5 Tackle Points)

Tamil Thalaivas

Best Raider – Manjeet (12 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Surjeet Singh (4 Tackle Points)