The Sawai Mansingh Stadium played host to the historic 1,000th match of the Pro Kabaddi League on Monday, resulting in a 35-29 win for the Bengal Warriors over the Bengaluru Bulls. This result significantly impacts the leaderboard; the Warriors climbed to 6th place with 38 points, whereas the Bulls dropped to 9th with 32. Key contributors for the winning side included captain Maninder Singh (9 points) and defender Shubham Shinde (7 tackle points). For the Bulls, Bharat was the primary engine of their offense, securing 6 raid and 4 bonus points.
The Bengal Warriors registered a comfortable 35-29 win over the Bengaluru Bulls in the 1000th Pro Kabaddi League match on Monday night at Sawai Mansingh Stadium. With a much-needed win, Bengal Warriors have moved up to the 6th spot (38 points) in the table while the Bulls have slid down to 9th place with 32 points under their belt. The Warriors’ captain Maninder Singh scored 9 points for his side, while defender Shubham Shinde collected 7 tackle points. Bharat was the lone star for the Bulls with 6 Raid points and 4 Bonus points.
The match began with the Bulls in control, as Bharat's early raids helped them establish a 5-2 lead by the five-minute mark. Maninder Singh fought back, utilizing a double-point raid to eliminate Bharat and Surjeet Singh and bring the score closer. By the 12th minute, the Bulls still held a slim 9-7 lead, but the tide turned in the 16th minute when Jaskirat Singh and Shubham Shinde delivered crucial tackles to tie the game at 11-11.
Shortly after, the Warriors surged ahead when Nitin Kumar took out Saurabh Nandal and Neeraj Narwal, triggering an All-out that gave Bengal a 15-11 cushion. The duo of Shubham and Maninder continued to control the pace of the game, leading to a 19-12 advantage by halftime. The second half started with a spark for the Bulls, as Bharat succeeded in a raid and Surjeet managed to tackle Maninder. Although the Bulls pushed hard, the Warriors held a 19-16 lead for a while, until the Bulls managed an All-out of their own, flipping the script to lead 21-20 by the 28th minute.
The game remained tense, but a vital tackle by Shubham on Bharat kept the Warriors within striking distance, trailing 23-24 in the 31st minute. Seizing the momentum, the Warriors forced another All-out in the 37th minute to regain a comfortable lead. Maninder eventually put the game to bed with another double-point raid late in the match, ensuring a clinical win for his team.
Elsewhere, the Jaipur Pink Panthers maintained their position at the top of the table after a nail-biting 31-29 victory over U Mumba. Arjun Deshwal was the hero of the night with 11 points, leading the Panthers to their fifth straight win and third consecutive home victory. U Mumba's Guman Singh fought valiantly, recording a Super 10. Looking ahead to today's schedule (January 16), the Tamil Thalaivas and Patna Pirates will clash at the SMS Indoor Stadium, a matchup expected to be fierce as both teams are desperate to get back into the winning column.