PKL: U Mumba beat Tamil Thalaivas to improve playoff chances

U Mumba beat Tamil Thalaivas 35-33 in a Pro Kabaddi League match here on Saturday. Thalaivas fought valiantly after a dismal first half to make it a close affair in the final minutes. But Mumbai's captain Fazel Atrachali marshalled his defence well to ensure they walked away with all five points in the race for a playoff spot.

Abhishek Singh scored 10 points for Mumbai while defenders Rinku, Fazel Atrachali and Rahul Sethpal had three points each. Thalaivas raiders Manjeet and Ajinkya Pawar had seven points each. The first half was completely dominated by U Mumba with their raiders Abhishek Singh and Ajith Kumar finding easy points from a disjointed Tamil defence.

Abhishek's hand touches gave Mumbai an early lead, but Sagar's Super Tackle helped Thalaivas stay in the match. But Ajith Kumar, playing against his former team, donned the secondary raider's role to perfection and ensured Mumbai got their first ALL OUT in the ninth minute to open a six-point lead. The raiders continued their good work while the defenders also stepped up for U Mumba.

Rahul Sethpal was an important cog in that defence. Their corners Fazel Atrachali and Rinku were also nearly flawless. Thalaivas' raiders Manjeet and Ajinkya Pawar had no luck against a well-oiled Mumbai defence.

Abhishek Singh's heroic three-point Super Raid paved the way for another ALL OUT with four minutes remaining for the interval. The scores were 26-11 at the interval with Mumbai clearly on top. The 15-point gap didn't dampen the spirits of the Thalaivas as they started the second half on the front foot.