Bengaluru Bulls thumped Dabang Delhi 40-21 here on Friday, recording its first Pro Kabaddi League home win in the process. The adoring fans at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium revelled in Bulls’ dominance, a welcome escape from the disappointment of witnessing two defeats earlier at this venue. The exciting Ajay Thakur (7 points) came into his own, while Dharmaraj Cheralathan (8) and Rajesh Mondal (6) provided able support. The defence, led by Somvir Shekar, stood firm in the face of Dabang raids. This crucial victory pushed Bulls (38 points) to third place. Dabang (26 points), meanwhile, will need an improved showing in the coming fixtures to stand a chance of entering the knockout rounds.
Earlier, Patna Pirates kept its semifinal hopes alive with a tight 34-32 victory over Bengal Warriors. Pirates (30 points) stay within touching distance of the top-four, while Warriors have fallen out of the race.
The results: Patna Pirates 34 (Gurvinder Singh 11, Ravi Dalal 7) bt Bengal Warriors 32 (Sunil Jaipal 8, Jang Kung Lee 6); Bengaluru Bulls 40 (Dharmaraj Cheralathan 8, Ajay Thakur 7, Rajesh Mondal 6, Somvir Shekar 6) bt Dabang Delhi 21 (Kashiling Adake 6).
