To meet  Dabang Delhi K.C in semis tonight

Three times former Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) champions Patna Pirates registered a convincing 31-23 win over Season 2 winner U Mumba the decisive Eliminator 2 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex on Thursday night. In the process they booked the last remaining spot in the semi-finals, backed by the exceptional performance of Ayan Lohchab and his 10 points (8 raid points), while Gurdeep scored a High 5, keeping their opponents quiet throughout the whole game. For U Mumba their Iranian all-rounder Amirmohammad Zafardanesh top scored with 6 raid points and defender Lokesh Ghosliya with 3 tackle points gave a good account of themselves in the face of their team’s elimination from the tourney after showing great promise. The win set for Patna Pirates sets up an exciting clash in Semi-final 2, against the in-form Season 8 winners Dabang Delhi K.C.

An ALL OUT inflicted upon U Mumba eight and a half minutes into the match gave the Patna Pirates a very strong start and came after Devank Dalal was off the mat at the start of the match, but Ayan Lohchab stepped to the fore. He was well supported by his defenders, as the likes of U Mumba’s ace raiders Ajit Chouhan and Rohit Raghav were quiet throughout the first phase of the clash.

U Mumba upped the ante in the second phase of the game in a bid to equal the score but to no avail and soon faced a second ALL OUT that hampered their hard work with two minutes left to the end of the first half. The score eventually read 17-11 at the half-time stage in favour of the eventual winners.

Ayan continued his attacking forays in the second half too and even executed a crucial Super Tackle with a perfectly timed knee hold that pinned Ajit to the mat. While Amirmohammad managed to claw back a point for U Mumba with a swift hand touch on the left corner, the match remained finely balanced as the teams headed into the second timeout.

In a crucial do-or-die raid, Devank, despite his limited involvement throughout the match, proved his mettle by successfully evading Rinku's challenge against a three-man U Mumba defence. Although substitute raider M Dhanasekar managed to secure two points for U Mumba, the Patna Pirates' tactical decision to run down the clock proved effective, leaving U Mumba struggling to accumulate points at the necessary pace to mount a comeback in the tourney.

Earlier in a one-sided affair to kick start the PKL Season 11 Playoffs, UP Yoddhas gave a scintillating performance, to confirm their Semi-Final berth, at the expense of the two times former champions Jaipur Pink Panthers, in Eliminator 1. The UP Yoddhas won the contest 46-18, with Bhavani Rajput (12 points) and Hitesh with High-5 playing starring roles. The UP Yoddhas will now face table toppers Haryana Steelers in Semi-Final 1 on Friday.

Schedule for the PKL Season 11 matches on Friday, 27 December:

Semi-final 1 – Haryana Steelers Vs UP Yoddhas – 8 pm     

Semi-final 2 – Dabang Delhi K.C. Vs Patna Pirates – 9 pm

Photo Cover: U Mumba loss in the Eliminator 2 summed up its season of highs and lows in the face of challenges and incredible moments much to the disappointment of its numerous fans

Photo Above: Patna Pirates raised their game when it mattered the most against U Mumba en-route the Semi-final of PKL Season 11 (Photo courtesy PKL)