Day 42 of the Skyesports Valorant League 2021 featured two Valorant series, where Kolkata Trident claimed victory against Punjab Pinnacles and Bengaluru Crushers beat Delhi Dragons.
Punjab, with their current standing, has no chance of qualifying for the upcoming playoffs. Kolkata still has a shot depending on the results of their upcoming series.
The Crushers, on the other end, have secured a hefty lead in the points table and are looking to solidify their position as the second qualifying team for the playoffs. The Dragons, stuck in fourth, have yet to secure their place.
Skyesports Valorant League 2021 Day 42 match recap
Punjab Pinnacles vs Kolkata Tridents
The three maps decided by the two teams for the first Valorant series of the day through the map veto process were:
- Split
- Haven
- Ascent
Map 1: Split
The first match of the day was played on Split, as Punjab started on the attacker’s side. They drew first blood by winning two consecutive rounds but were shut down by Kolkata, who claimed two games of their own to tie the score. The first half ended 5-7 in the former’s favor.
Kolkata started strong in the second half, winning two rounds to again tie the score 7-7. The second half followed a similar pattern as Kolkata kept playing catch up to Punjab, until, finally, they snatched the lead at 11-10.
The Tridents secured another round to set themselves up for match point. Dropping the 23rd round to the Pinnacles, Kolkata finally secured victory in a hard-fought battle with a 13-11 scoreline.
Map 2: Haven
The second game was played in Haven. Punjab started strong, securing a 4-1 lead before Kolkata fought back, as the first half ended 6-6.
Kolkata then started the second half strong, winning two consecutive rounds to gain a 6-8 lead. But to their absolute disdain, the Pinnacles won seven successive games to equalize the series 13-8.
Map 3: Ascent
The third and deciding match of this series was held in Ascent as Kolkata direly needed this victory to stand a chance to qualify for the playoffs. With determination, they quickly built up a hefty 6-2 lead and went on to secure the first half with a 10-2 scoreline.
Building on that momentum, the Tridents quickly secured match point. However, Punjab secured three consecutive rounds to take the score from 12-5 to 12-8. But with one more win, Kolkata snatched the match 13-8 and the series 2-1.
Bengaluru Crushers vs Delhi Dragons
For the second Valorant series of the day, the three decided maps through the map veto process were:
- Icebox
- Bind
- Ascent
Map 1: Icebox
The first match of the second series started on the Icebox map as Bengaluru looked to solidify their position atop the Skyesports Valorant League 2021 table with a swift victory. They began on the attackers’ side, securing a hefty 3-9 lead in the first half.
The Crushers did not let the lead sip, winning four more rounds in the second half and dropping only one to Delhi to secure the first match 4-13.
Map 2: Bind
The second game of this series was set in Bind, with Bengaluru once again starting strong. This time around, not only did they take an early lead, but the side went on to win every single round in the first half to secure a 12-0 scoreline.
Delhi tried their best to fight back as they opened up the second half with two consecutive rounds. But it was all for naught as the Crushers shut them down in the third round and won the second Valorant game with a scoreline of 13-2.
Map 3: Ascent
The Crushers, having already secured the series, played the third and final match of the day on Ascent to secure the additional points. The Dragons, thus far dominated by Bengaluru, went into the game with hopes of retaliation.
They showed some promise in the first phase of the match but were once again shut down as Bengaluru finished the first half 3-9 in their favor.
The second half portrayed a similar picture as the Crushers won three consecutive rounds to secure match point. From there on, they dropped only two more games before clean sweeping the Dragons 5-13 and hence, 3-0.
Points table after Day 42
With the crushing victory against Delhi, Bengaluru rose to the first position on the points table, leaving Rajasthan Strikers behind. At the other end, Kolkata, with their 2-1 win over Punjab, inched closer to Delhi and still stands a chance of qualifying for the upcoming playoffs.