The ninth day of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 8 was action-packed as fans were treated to two action-packed contests, albeit quite one-sided. To start off proceedings, the El Clasico of PKL was on offer with U Mumba taking on the Jaipur Pink Panthers. The Bengaluru Bulls squared off against the Haryana Steelers in the second Pro Kabaddi 2021 contest of the day.
U Mumba secured quite an emphatic 37-28 win over their arch-rivals as the Mumbai franchise got back to winning ways. The Jaipur outfit's inability to secure points in defense coupled with inadequate support for Arjun Deshwal were two of the biggest factors that resulted in their loss.
U Mumba will be pleased with the performance of their raiders, especially Abhishek Singh, who returned to form with a Super 10 to his name. V Ajith Kumar continued his purple patch in the tournament as he garnered 11 points. Their defense is back to their formidable self and they will look to keep the winning momentum going in their next fixture.
The Haryana Steelers failed to contain 'Hi-Flyer' Pawan Sehrawat's Bengaluru Bulls in the second game of the day as the latter cruised to a comfortable 42-28 win over the Steelers.
The Bengaluru Bulls' defense was in red-hot form as they collected an astounding 11 points in the second half itself as compared to the Steelers' 9 tackle points over the course of the entire match.
The Steelers, known for their defense, had a terrible outing as not only were they unable to keep Sehrawat quiet but also failed to get points through raids. The Bulls skipper notched up another massive Super 10, collecting 22 points in the game, which included 3 tackle points as well.
PKL 2021 Standings
With wins in their respective games, U Mumba and Bengaluru Bulls break into the top half of the table. While the Bulls now occupy second position with three wins to their name, the side from Mumbai stand third with two wins and one tied encounter, with a strong Score Difference of 21.
The Pink Panthers, after suffering a massive loss, dropped down to seventh spot as their Score Difference took a hit. Similarly, the Steelers now have one of the worst Score Differences among the Pro Kabaddi teams and continue to be placed ninth.
Day ten will present an opportunity for Puneri Paltan to make their way upwards in the Pro Kabaddi points table as they lock horns with Tamil Thalaivas. The Pirates and the Warriors will battle it out in the second contest of the day in a bid to rise to the top-two.
Click here for the Pro Kabaddi results.