New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS): Star raider Narender scored an impressive Super 10, while team skipper and star defender Sahil Gulia got a High 5 as the Tamil Thalaivas kept their hopes of reaching the playoffs alive with a 32-25 win over the U.P. Yoddhas in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 10 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday.

With this win, Tamil Thalaivas moved to eighth position, just two places below the playoff spots.

U.P. Yoddhas took an early lead as Gagana Gowda and Mahipal combined for seven raid points. For the Tamil Thalaivas, Narender was their main raider, but he did not get much support from his teammates. Just as the Yoddhas were taking a decisive lead, the Thalaivas’ raiders upped the ante. While Narender was their main threat, Sahil Gulia did well in the left corner with a High 5 as the team ended the first half with the score reading 21-16 in their favour.

In the second half, the Yoddhas scored two consecutive points, putting the Tamil Thalaivas in a Super Tackle situation. However, Himanshu ensured that they made up the points by scoring in a Do-Or-Die Raid. This gave the Thalaivas some momentum as they scored two consecutive points. After conceding the lead to the Tamil Thalaivas, the U.P. Yoddhas tried their best to come back into the game. Anil Kumar and Mahipal both had successful raids, but their defenders were unable to keep the Thalaivas and their raiders out of the points.

Narender kept his form up to complete his ninth Super 10 of the season as the Tamil Thalaivas began to take an unassailable lead. For the U.P. Yoddhas, their raiders were constantly caught by Sahil Gulia, who kept the Tamil Thalaivas afloat in the race for a playoff spot with this important victory.