Gujarat Giants Vs U.p. Yoddhas 19 December 2024

FULL-TIME! Gujarat Giants 23-59 UP Yoddhas

UP Yoddhas register their Highest score in Pro Kabaddi League 2024! A 36-point win against the Giants to extend their unbeaten run to eight games. What a time to peak for the Yoddhas as they fight for a semi-final spot. 

It was complete domination from Yoddhas against the Giants, who looked totally clueless, just like the whole season. Gagan Gowda was just brilliant with 19 raid points alongside Bhavani Rajput who got his Super 10 too. 

Even defense was at its best as they got 18 tackle points in total, with Captain Sumit securing a High 5 and others pitching in as well. They move up to the second spot with this win!

That's it from this game. This is Meeth Agrawal signing off. Switch tabs too see U Mumba take on the Patna Pirates. 

40' Gujarat Giants 23-59 UP Yoddhas

SUPER TACKLE! Mahender Singh pulls off a brilliant ankle hold on Rakesh at the left corner to pin Rakesh down. 18th tackle point for the Yoddhas.

DO OR DIE RAID FOR UP YODDHAS! Bhavani Rajput gets his Super 10 with an escape from Jitender Yadav's ankle hold. 

39' Gujarat Giants 23-56 UP Yoddhas

Last 2 minutes coming in and Bhavani runs the clock down with an empty raid. Rohan Singh does the same for Gujarat. 

38' Gujarat Giants 23-56 UP Yoddhas

Gagan Gowda gets a bonus under the left corner but Jitender Yadav completes his High 5 with an ankle hold.

SUPER TACKLE! What a dash here from Sumit and the UP Yoddhas. He manages to first block Guman Singh and then dash him out. But the referee has deemed Sumit out of bounds as well. UP Yoddhas have reviewed it. The replays show that Sumit had no contact in the lobby and thus he has to go back too. Two points for Yoddhas and a point to Gujarat. 

36' Gujarat Giants 21-53 UP Yoddhas

A multi-point raid here from Guman Singh. First gets a touch on Mahender Singh and then a running hand touch on Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi at the left corner. 

Another point now for Guman Singh. Escapes an advance ankle hold from Hitesh at the right corner. 

DO OR DIE RAID FOR UP YODDHAS! Very very silly from Neeraj Kumar. Goes in for an advance block but Gagan Gowda was too close to the midline. 

34' Gujarat Giants 18-52 UP Yoddhas

The Yoddhas reach the 50-point mark with this multi-point raid from Gagan Gowda. Advance tackles from Sombir and Vahid to make things worse for Giants. 

Now a running hand touch from Bhavani Rajput. Gets a touch on Rohan Singh at the right in. 

DO OR DIE RAID FOR GUJARAT GIANTS! Guman finally gets a point as he escapes another advance block from Sumit. 

32' Gujarat Giants 17-49 UP Yoddhas

A running bonus here from Gagan Gowda under the right in defender. 

An advance block from Sumit from the left corner. But Rohan Singh turns around to escape.

An unnecessary ankle hold from Rakesh from the left in to gift away a free point to Gagan Gowda. 

30' Gujarat Giants 16-47 UP Yoddhas

ALL OUT! Jitender Yadav had almost pulled off another super tackle but Bhavani Rajput uses his height to advantage and inflicts the fourth all-out on the Giants. 

28' Gujarat Giants 16-43 UP Yoddhas

A textbook ankle hold here from Sumit. Rohit goes in deep at the left corner and ends up giving his ankle to Sumit. 

SUPER TACKLE! Bharat has been taken down by Jitender Yadav's ankle hold. Finally something to cheer about for the Giants as they get two points from this tackle. 

DO OR DIE RAID FOR GUJARAT GIANTS! Ashu gets his fourth tackle point with an ankle hold on Rakesh. 

26' Gujarat Giants 14-41 UP Yoddhas

Another brilliant ankle hold from Jitender Yadav. This time he takes down Bhavani Rajput at the left corner. 

Ruthless and exceptional from Hitesh. Guman Singh goes for a running hand touch on the left corner but Hitesh comes from the other side to block the raider down. 

A brilliant running hand touch now from Gagan Gowda to take down Neeraj Kumar at the right cover. 

An advance ankle hold from Aadesh Siwach and he finds no support to give an easy escape to Bhavani Rajput. 

24' Gujarat Giants 13-38 UP Yoddhas

ALL OUT! Jitender Yadav is been given an easy bonus but is taken down by Sumit's ankle hold at the left corner. 

Jitender Yadav responds with a brilliant ankle hold of his own on none other than Gagan Gowda at the left corner. 

A multi-point raid here from Bharat Hooda. Gets a bonus first and then kicks Aadesh at the right in. 

Brilliant here from Hitesh who blocks down Rakesh as the raider goes in deep at the left corner. 

22' Gujarat Giants 11-32 UP Yoddhas

Bhavani Rajput starts of the second half with a running hand touch on Sombir at the right corner. 

DO OR DIE RAID FOR GUJARAT GIANTS! Ashu Singh gets his third tackle point with a block on Aadesh Siwach from the right cover.

DO OR DIE RAID FOR UP YODDHAS! An easy escape here from Bhavani Rajput from Neeraj Kumar's ankle hold. 

HALF-TIME! Gujarat Giants 11-29 UP Yoddhas

Nothing surprising here as UP Yoddhas have completely dominated the Giants here at the Balewadi Stadium. Already an 18-point lead in the first half, and UP has more or less clinched this game unless the Giants pull off a miracle, which seems highly unlikely. 

Gagan Gowda has already completed his Super 10, with Bhavani Rajput taking the onus of do-or-die raids. The defense, too, has managed to keep the Giants' raiders at bay. 

We'll be back shortly with the final 20 minutes. Don't go anywhere! 

20' Gujarat Giants 11-29 UP Yoddhas

Bharat joins the party now. Rakesh tries for a bonus but Bharat, at the left in, gets a perfect ankle hold. 

DO OR DIE RAID FOR UP YODDHAS! An easy kick from Bhavani Rajput on Rohit at the left corner to end the first half. 

18' Gujarat Giants 11-27 UP Yoddhas

A multi-point raid here from Gagan Gowda. Just no stopping for him as he reaches another SUPER 10. Great match awareness from him as he first escapes an ankle hold from Manuj and then gets a touch on Neeraj Kumar too. 

Aasdesh Siwach comes from the bench but is taken down by Ashu Singh's block at the right cover. 

ALL OUT! Rohit surrenders himself to Gagan Gowda as UP Yoddhas inflict the second all-out within the first half. 

A point each here for both sides. Mahender Singh takes down Guman Singh with a dash but goes out of bounds in the process. 

16' Gujarat Giants 10-20 UP Yoddhas

A great ankle hold here from Neeraj Kumar. Bhavani Rajput runs towards him at the right corner but Neeraj manages to get a good grip on the raider.

An easy point here for Gagan Gowda. A brilliant kick on Rakesh at the left in.

DO OR DIE RAID FOR GUJARAT GIANTS! Bhavani Rajput now contributes in defense as well. A great back hold from the right in to pin Monu down. 

14' Gujarat Giants 9-18 UP Yoddhas

First tackle point finally for the Giants. Vahid, from the centre gets an ankle hold on the tall Bhavani Rajput. 

The Yoddhas defense responds with a tackle of their own. A blockbuster Block from Mahender Singh from the left cover to take down Guman Singh. 

12' Gujarat Giants 8-17 UP Yoddhas

DO OR DIE RAID FOR GUJARAT GIANTS! Guman Singh is the man in for the Giants. Confuses Hitesh and then gets a kick on Hitesh at the right corner. 

DO OR DIE RAID FOR UP YODDHAS! Gagan Gowda responds with a bonus under the left corner and then a running hand touch on Manuj at the right corner. 

10' Gujarat Giants 7-15 UP Yoddhas

An easy bonus here for the tall Gagan Gowda right under the nose of the left corner. 

Another tackle point for UP Yoddhas as Hitesh, at the right corner, gets a successful chain tackle on Rakesh, who tries to duck under. 

A brilliant escape now from Gagan Gowda. He tries for a bonus but doesn't get one. But Rohit goes for an ankle hold, which unfortunately wasn't good enough to take down Gagan. 

8' Gujarat Giants 7-12 UP Yoddhas

DO OR DIE RAID FOR GUJARAT GIANTS! And we have out first tackle point of the night as Ashu Singh gets a block on Rakesh from the right cover. 

DO OR DIE RAID FOR UP YODDHAS! Two-man defense here for Gujarat here and Bhavani Rajput goes in deep at the right corner and gets a touch on Neeraj Kumar. 

ALL OUT! Guman Singh gets a bonus under the left corner but is dashed down by Sumit at the left corner. 

6' Gujarat Giants 6-7 UP Yoddhas

A brilliant running hand touch from Rakesh in response. Gets one on Ashu Singh at the right cover. 

Bhavani keeps adding points as he manages to get a touch on Monu this time. 

4' Gujarat Giants 5-6 UP Yoddhas

A quick bonus from Rakesh under the left corner defender. 

A gift here for the Yoddhas as Rohit at the left corner finds his foot in the lobby without any touch. A self-out. 

Bhavani Rajput now goes in deep at the left corner and finds Manuj coming for a dash. But the tall raider finds his way back with ease. 

2' Gujarat Giants 4-4 UP Yoddhas

Great use of the lobby here from Guman to kick things off. Gets a running hand touch on Sumit at the left corner. 

Poor from Neeraj Kumar here now. An advance block from the right cover to give Gagan Gowda an easy escape. 

SUPER RAID! An early blow from the Gujarat Giants courtesy of Rakesh. Escapes an ankle hold from Sumit first and then manages to get past the dashes from Ashu and Mahender Singh. 

SUPER RAID at the other end as well! What a start this has been. Gagan Gowda gets a bonus under the left corner and then manages to escape dashes from Neeraj and Vahid Rezaeimehr. 

Lineups

Gujarat Giants Playing 7:
Vahid Rezaeimehr, Rakesh, Neeraj Kumar, Manuj, Guman Singh (C), Rohit, Monu
Bench:
Mohammad Nabibakhsh, Sombir, Nitin, Jitender Yadav, Mohit, Rohan Singh, Aadesh Siwach

UP Yoddhas Playing 7:
Bharat, Mahender Singh, Gagan Gowda, Bhavani Rajput, Sumit (C), Hitesh, Ashu Singh
Bench:
Gangaram, Sachin, Keshav Kumar, Surender Gill, Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi, Sahul Kumar, Shivam Chaudhary

Hello and welcome! We are live from the Balewadi Stadium in Pune, where we’re gearing up for a fascinating clash in the Pro Kabaddi League 2024! I’m Meeth Agrawal, and I’ll be your guide through the twists and turns of this intriguing encounter between the Gujarat Giants and the UP Yoddhas. It’s a game that carries significance for both sides, albeit for very different reasons.

Let’s start with the Gujarat Giants. Their playoff hopes may have vanished, but don’t for a second think that pride doesn’t matter. It’s the kind of pride that makes you a dangerous opponent, because when you’ve got nothing to lose, you can play with complete freedom. And that’s where the Giants could spring a surprise tonight, possibly shaking up the race for those semifinal spots. For them, it’s all about spoiling the party.

Now to the UP Yoddhas, who are in a position of power. They’ve already punched their ticket to the playoffs with a seven-match unbeaten run, capped off with an emphatic 31-24 victory over table-toppers Haryana Steelers. But here’s the twist: they’re now chasing a top-two finish, which would earn them a direct ticket to the semifinals and avoid the grueling eliminators. Their raiding duo of Gagan Gowda and Bhavani Rajput have been revelations, stepping out of the shadows to become the lead raiders. 

Will Gujarat pull off an upset? Or will UP’s unbeaten streak roll on as they cement their claim for a top-two finish? Stay tuned, folks, because we’re in for a cracker of a contest!