PKL 2019 Qualifier 2: Gujarat sets up final clash with Bengaluru

Gujarat Fortuengiants beat U.P Yoddha 38-31 in the Qualifier 2 match to enter the Pro Kabaddi League final for the second time a row

U.P Yoddha captain Rishank Devadiga in action against Gujarat Fortuengiants.

Welcome to SportStar's live blog of Pro Kabaddi League 2018 playoffs. Last season's runner-up Gujarat Fortunegiants will face off against UP Yoddha in the Qualifier 2 for a place in the final against Bengaluru Bulls at the DOME@NSCI SVP Stadium, Mumbai.

Second Half

 

38-31 Shrikant Jadhav gets a touch point, but it is not enough for U.P Yoddha. Gujarat goes into the final for the second time in a row as it meets Bengaluru Bulls in the final on Saturday at DOME@NSCI SVP Stadium, Mumbai scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM (IST).

37-30 Rohit Gulia is blindsided as Nitesh Kumar lifts him off the mat near the midline, but the defender's foot was over the midline and is given out.

34-28 Gujarat coach Mandeep Singh instructs his team to spend all 30 seconds on a raid and warns against giving away bonus points. Sunil Kumar tries to tackle Shrikant Jadhav, but is unsuccessful.

34-27 Sachin Vittala gets a touch point, but he cannot delay the eventual all-out for U.P as Shrikant Jadhav takes out the remaining two Gujarat players off the mat. However, the points difference is still seven and Gujarat has time on its side.

32-18 Nitesh Kumar executes a solo tackle with another ankle hold and the tackler becomes the first player in the history of Pro Kabaddi League to reach 100 tackle points in a single season.

 

31-17 Shrikant Jadhav tries to get a running-hand touch on Parvesh Bhainswal as his chain partner Sunil Kumar slows the raider with an ankle hold and gets the assistance from his teammates to push out the raider out of the lobby.

30-16 Another High 5, his eighth of the season for Nitesh Kumar as he gets an ankle hold on Prapanjan after the raider tries to gets a bonus point.

 

30-15 Sachin is put in a double-ankle hold by Jeeva Kumar and it is the first points of the second half for U.P.

28-14 It is nine points without a reply for Gujarat as Sachin is given a surrender point on his raid and the second all-out of the match inflicted on U.P.

 

24-14 No respite in the sights for U.P as it is reduced to two men after Rohit Gulia gets a running-hand touch on Sachin Kumar.

23-14 Third tackle point for Hadi Oshtorak, who gets a powerful double-thigh hold on Prashanth Kumar Rai. U.P is clearly buckling under pressure.

21-14 Gujarat in the best position now. Prapranjan shakes off an ankle hold from Nitesh Kumar while the left chain of Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar combine to tackle Shrikant Jadhav successfully.

19-14 Rishank asks for some treatment as he is seen hobbling on his raid. Sagar Krishna comes in for U.P.

First Half

19-14 Parvesh Bhainswal gets a successful double-thigh hold on U.P's last man Azad Singh to get the first all-out of the match for Gujarat. The umpire awards a bonus point to U.P.

 

14-13 That was unfortunate for U.P as Rohit Gulia gets Jeeva Kumar and Nitesh Kumar in a Do-or-Die. This could be the turning point in the match.

11-13 Shrikant Jadhav gets a touchpoint after Sunil Kumar goes for an audacious ankle hold but misses his mark completely.

11-12 Nitesh Kumar has surged to four tackle points already as he gets another successful ankle hold on Sachin.

11-9 Sachin raids and attacks his namesake Sachin Kumar on the right corner. But the youngster does well to defend and lies flat on the mat to evade the touch and Gujarat raider returns empty handed.

10-9 It is a Do-or-Die for Prapanjan and the U.P defence makes him wait and gets a Super Tackle through a thigh-hold.

 

10-7 K. Prapanjan puts Gujarat on the horizon of an all-out by taking out the in-form Jeeva Kumar. Prashant Kumar Rai gets a point to get a revival for U.P.

8-6 Sunil Kumar gets his first tackle point by getting a double-thigh hold on Shrikant Jadhav.

 

6-6 Shrikant Jadhav revives Nitesh Kumar immediately by taking out Gujarat's star defender Parvesh Bhainswal with great acceleration near the baulk line.

5-4 Sachin is revived but this time, he is not successful in finding the bonus point on the left corner after the raider noticed the other chains closing in on him.

4-3 Shrikant Jadhav gets a running-hand touch on Sachin with a dash from the left corner.

4-2 A smart ploy by Sachin, who attacks the left corner which has Rishank Devadiga and pinches the bonus line and then gets a running-hand touch on Jeeva Kumar.

 

2-2 Prashant Kumar Rai takes out the middle chain of Gujarat, but Sachin gets another touch point.

1-0 Sachin gets the first point of the match for Gujarat after U.P captain Rishank Devadiga raids empty after winning the toss.

Lineups

Gujarat Fortunegiants K. Prapanjan, Sunil Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Hadi Oshtorak, Sachin, Ruturaj Koravi, Sachin Vittala Subs: Lalit Chaudhary, Rohit Gulia, Dharmender, Amit, Ajay Kumar U.P Yoddha Shrikant Jadhav, Narender, Jeeva Kumar, Prashanth Kumar Rai, Rishank Devadiga, Nitesh Kumar, Sachin Kumar Subs: Aashish Nagar, Amit, Md Masud Karim, Azad Singh, Sagar Krishna

Head-to-head: Gujarat Fortunegiants 1-0 U.P. Yoddha. 1 tie.

• Zone A topper Gujarat Fortunegiants will get a second crack at making it to the final after its defeat in Qualifier 1 against Bengaluru Bulls whereas stunning victories over U Mumba and Dabang Delhi K.C. leave U.P. Yoddha just one win away from a first-ever appearance in a VIVO Pro Kabaddi final.
• The two teams last met during the Ahmedabad leg where a late rally from the Gujarat Fortunegiants helped them beat U.P. Yoddha by a scoreline of 37-32.