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The Patna Pirates returned to their dominant form, securing an impressive 54-29 victory over the Bengaluru Bulls at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Saturday.
The raiding duo of Devank Dalal, the green-sleeve holder with 164 points this season, and Ayan Lohchab stole the show with their Super 10s, while Shubham Shinde's High 5 was equally instrumental in the team's emphatic win. The Patna Pirates started on a high note, with Ayan Lohchab leading the charge. However, the Bengaluru Bulls kept pace, thanks to Pardeep Narwal's raiding skills and Nitin Rawal's defensive efforts. The match saw moments of brilliance from both sides. Bengaluru's Pardeep Narwal rolled back the years with a spectacular 'Dubki' to take Arkam Shaikh off the mat, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. Twelve minutes into the game, Jai Bhagwan slipped past a five-man defence, escaping Deepak's dash on the right cover. But after this brief resurgence, the Patna Pirates tightened their grip on the game in the final six minutes of the first half. Devank Dalal led the charge as Jai Bhagwan and Lucky Kumar were tackled, allowing the Pirates to inflict an all-out on the Bulls with six minutes remaining in the half. Ayan Lohchab completed his Super 10 with a stunning Super Raid, ending the half with the Pirates ahead 22-12. The second half began with more dominance from the Pirates, as Jai Bhagwan was tackled by Ankit Jaglan, leading to another all-out on the Bulls just two minutes into the half. Despite the mounting deficit, the Bengaluru Bulls mounted a spirited fightback. Lucky Kumar earned a Super Tackle against Devank Dalal, and Pardeep Narwal reminded everyone of his PKL-record-breaking prowess with a sensational Super Raid, taking out Gurdeep, Thiyagarajan Yuvaraj, and Ayan Lohchab, reducing the Pirates to three players on the mat. However, the Pirates remained composed and steadily extended their lead. Devank Dalal completed another Super 10 for the season, while Shubham Shinde thwarted Pardeep Narwal with a brilliant Super Tackle. A third all-out in the final minute sealed the game for the Pirates, who triumphed by a massive 25-point margin. The three-time PKL champions were led by standout performances from Devank Dalal with 17 points, Ayan Lohchab with 13 points, and Shubham Shinde with 7 points, capping off a dominant display. (ANI)
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