PKL 11: U Mumba clinch final playoff spot with win over Bengal Warriorz

Pune (The Uttam Hindu): The U Mumba have made the PKL Season 11 Playoffs, and taken the fifth spot on the points table, as they swatted away the challenge from Bengal Warriorz, in the Badminton Hall, at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Tuesday. U Mumba won Match 132 by a scoreline of 36-27, bringing down the curtains on a thoroughly entertaining league phase. For U Mumba, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh got 7 points, while Sunil Kumar got a High-5 and Ajith Chauhan bagged 6 points. For the Bengal Warriorz, Pranay Rane scored 12 points.The Bengal Warriorz were out of the blocks quicker than the U Mumba in the early exchanges, racing into a slender 2-point lead. But Manjeet and Sunil Kumar responded well, as the U Mumba edged ahead. For the Bengal Warriorz, Pranay Rane was leading the attack while Ajith Chauhan was having a slow start to the game. Pranay Rane was giving it all in the final game of the season and it was reflecting on the scores, as the U Mumba were back to playing catch up. The U Mumba though were starting to go through the gears, with Ajith Chauhan, Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar holding fort. Ajith Chauhan’s flurry of raids propelled U Mumba into a 4-point lead, with 4 minutes to go in the first half. Sunil Kumar then landed an All Out, and the Season 2 champions took charge. At the break, U Mumba led 18-10.

U Mumba, who last made the Playoffs in Season 7, picked up the pace from the get-go in the second half, as Amirmohammad Zafardanesh started things off with a three-point lead. U Mumba were marching on towards the fifth spot on the points table. 7 minutes into the second half, the Bengal Warriorz were on the wrong side of another All Out, which gave the U Mumba a 14-point lead. Meanwhile, Nitesh Kumar had picked up another High-5 for the Bengal Warriorz, and along with Pranay Rane was soldiering on. U Mumba captain Sunil Kumar too had registered another High-5 by the half-hour mark. Shortly after, Pranay Rane got to his Super 10 and that was followed by an All Out on the U Mumba. The Bengal Warriorz were threatening to make a comeback, and with just under 7 minutes to go, faced a 7-point deficit. Pranay Rane and Nitesh Kumar were giving the U Mumba a few nervy moments in the final minutes. However, the U Mumba had done enough and walked away with a morale boosting win, and the fifth spot on the points table.