Bengaluru Raptors stormed into the final of the Premier Badminton League (PBL) with a 4-2 victory over Awadhe Warriors in their last-four clash at Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium here on Friday.
Bengaluru’s potent men’s singles combination of K. Srikanth and Sai Praneeth once again came to the party, putting up impressive shows. While Srikanth went past World No. 5 Ho Son to record his seventh straight win, Praneeth made it six on the trot when he put it across Dong Keun 15-9, 15-4. South Korean Son attempted to claw his way back with a late surge in the second game, but Srikanth would have none of it.
Bengaluru’s men’s doubles pair of Mohammed Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan sealed the fate of the tie with a 15-14, 15-9 victory over Yang Lee-Mathias Christiansen in the former’s trump match. With Bengaluru securing an unassailable lead, the fifth rubber — the women’s singles match between Vu Thi (Bengaluru) and B. Zhang (Awadhe) — was not held.
Only the mixed doubles team of Christiansen and Ashwini Ponnappa brought some cheer for the visitor, when they defeated Marcus Ellis-Lauren Smith 15-10, 5-7 in the opening rubber.
From here, it was Praneeth and Srikanth who stole the show. Both shuttlers played exciting badminton, and received plenty of love from the home crowd.
P.V. Sindhu and her Hyderabad Hunters take on Mumbai Rockets in the second semifinal here on Saturday.
The results: Bengaluru Raptors bt Awadhe Warriors 4-2 (Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith lost to Christiansen Mathias & Ashwini Ponnappa ( T ) 10-15, 7-15; Sai Praneeth bt Lee Dong Keun 15-9, 15-4; K. Srikanth bt Ho Son 15-7, 15-10; Mohammed Ahsan & Hendra Setiawan ( T ) bt Yang Lee & Mathias Christiansen 15-14, 15-9) .
