Ultimate Kho Kho 2022, Top Moments: Odisha Juggernauts, Gujarat Giants prevail in thrillers

Riding on Nilesh Jadhav’s superb all-round performance, Odisha Juggernauts clinched a stunning come-from-behind triumph against Rajasthan Warriors. At the same time, Gujarat Giants conquered Telugu Yoddhas in another compelling encounter at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Thursday. Besides P Siva Reddy, who secured 3.18 minutes in defence and achieved three points, Abhinandhan Patil and skipper Ranjan Shetty too played essential roles in the Giants’ win by adding nine points each. They won by three points in a closely-fought game with a score of 51-48. For Juggernauts, Jadhav registered 3.22 minutes in the defence and scored 16 points in the attack, including six dismissals, to aid his side bag the top spot in the points table with its fourth straight victory by six points with a score of 51-45.

Skipper Dipesh More was the other top performer of the game, leading the Juggernauts from the front with a suitable defence of 3.58 minutes. Having grabbed 21 points in the opening turn, the Warriors looked equally strong when they switched to defence, restricting the in-form Juggernauts to just 17 points. Dilrajsing Sengar and Akshay Ganpule contributed gaily, besting bonus points for defence time of 3.25 minutes and 2.35 minutes, respectively.

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While the Warriors ended the opening innings at a lead of 27-21, More rescued Juggernauts by clinching six bonus points for his defence of nearly four minutes. As a result of More’s execution, the Warriors had to settle for just 16 points in the third turn. Ganpule stood tall in the defence by disbursing around three minutes, but Jagannatha Murmu seized him to level the score for the Juggernauts before completing a nail-biting victory.

For the Warriors, Ganpule ingrained the most by defending for 5.32 minutes, including 2.57 minutes in the second innings. In the meantime, in the harrowing second encounter of the day, two of the league’s best sides, Giants and Yoddhas, delivered equivalent antagonism, with the scores being locked at 27-27 after the opening innings.

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Though P Siva Reddy defended 3.18 minutes for the Giants, the Yoddhas cared to go past the opposition with a lead of 46-31, with seven minutes remaining. While the team was trailing by just a couple of points at 46-48, Reddy delivered three winning points for the Giants, booting Adarsh Mohite with a skydive. On Friday, Chennai Quick Guns and Mumbai Khiladis will take on Giants and Yoddhas, respectively.