Chennai, Oct 5 (IANS) — Bengaluru Bulls secured a hard-fought 33-29 victory over the Tamil Thalaivas in Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday night, powered by another Super 10 from Alireza Mirzaian. Sanjay Dhull’s crucial High Five in the closing moments proved decisive for the season 6 winners. The match also marked a milestone for Arjun Deshwal, who reached 1,300 career points in the PKL.
The Bulls started the match aggressively, with Alireza Mirzaian making incisive raids and Yogesh holding firm in defence. Their early dominance forced errors from the Thalaivas, allowing Bengaluru to take control of the scoreboard.
The first significant momentum shift came when Nitesh Kumar executed a strong tackle on Aashish Malik, giving the Thalaivas their first lead. From there, both teams exchanged points evenly, ending the first ten minutes at 9-9, reflecting a closely contested battle.
The second quarter maintained the high intensity, with Bengaluru relying on Alireza’s sharp raids and Deepak Sankar’s solid defence, supported by valuable contributions from Ganesha Hanamantagol. The Thalaivas responded through orchestrated raids by Arjun Deshwal and steady point-scoring from Rohit Beniwal, keeping the seesaw battle alive.
A highlight of the period came when Deshwal’s successful raid inflicted an ALL OUT on Bengaluru, giving the Thalaivas a slight edge. Tackles from Nitesh Kumar and Ronak kept them in contention, and the first half ended with Tamil Thalaivas leading narrowly, 18-17.
In the second half, both sides showcased strong defensive performances — Deepak Sankar and Sanjay Dhull stood tall for Bengaluru, while Arulnanthababu and Ronak countered effectively for the Thalaivas. Alireza continued to create pressure in attack, sending Nitesh Kumar to the bench, while Rohit Beniwal kept his team within touching distance. By the 30-minute mark, Bengaluru led 23-21.
The final ten minutes were a display of evenly matched skills, with Arjun Deshwal completing 1,300 PKL raid points and Alireza responding with timely raids. Sanjay’s resilient defence ensured neither team could dominate.
In the dying moments, Bengaluru found the decisive breakthrough. A brilliant Super Tackle by Sanjay in the final minute swung momentum completely in favour of the Bulls, denying the Thalaivas any comeback opportunity. That defensive masterstroke proved decisive, helping Bengaluru Bulls seal a thrilling 33-29 victory.
