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Sydney, Dec 26 (IANS) Gao Xinyu will face the formidable challenge of replacing women's world No. 5 Zheng Qinwen when she partners Zhang Zhizhen, China's highest-ranked men's player, at the season-opening United Cup starting on Friday. Fifth-seeded China will open their campaign against Brazil on Friday at the 15,000-seat RAC Arena in Perth. Defending champion Germany, led by men's World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, is also in Group E.

Organised by the ATP and WTA, the third edition of the mixed team event in Sydney and Perth effectively launches the 2025 international tennis season ahead of the Australian Open, which is annually the first Grand Slam on the calendar, reports Xinhua.

Seven of the world's top 10 women's players and six of the highest 12 ranked men will feature at the United Cup, culminating with the final on January 5 in Sydney.

China's hopes of improving on its quarterfinal result in the previous edition took a major hit after Zheng withdrew to focus on rest before next month's Australian Open. Zheng is coming off a breakout season, highlighted by winning the women's Olympic gold medal. She was runner-up to current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at Melbourne Park after playing in the United Cup in Perth last season.

She was set to again represent China before pulling out. "After the long season that 2024 was for me, I need a few extra weeks of rest, recovery, and good training to get ready for the new season," Zheng wrote on social media. "I had such a fantastic time at the United Cup in January of this year, and therefore will miss the event greatly."

Zheng's withdrawal gives an opportunity to world No. 175 Gao. The 27-year-old most recently reached the Round of 32 at the Hong Kong Open. She will be the underdog against 17th-ranked Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil before concluding the group stage against Germany's Laura Siegemund.

China's hopes for a deep run in the tournament will likely rest with men's 45th-ranked Zhang, who reached the third round of this year's French Open. The 28-year-old won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in mixed doubles alongside Wang Xinyu. He also enjoyed a barnstorming semifinal run at this year's Australian Open doubles with Czech Tomas Machac. Zhang will face 109th-ranked Thiago Monteiro in the United Cup, before taking on Zverev on Monday. Zverev will be seeking to sharpen his Australian Open preparations as he aims to end his Grand Slam title drought.

Eighteen teams are drawn into six groups in a round-robin format, with the group winners and two best-performing runners-up advancing to the quarterfinals.

Top-seeded United States is headlined by women's world No. 3 Coco Gauff, who did not win a Grand Slam this year after claiming the 2023 U.S. Open. She partners with men's No. 4 Taylor Fritz, who reached his first major final at the U.S. Open before losing to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in straight sets. The United States is in Group A alongside Canada and Croatia.

Women's world No. 2 Iga Swiatek will draw particular attention as she returns following a one-month suspension for testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. The five-time Grand Slam champion will spearhead second-seeded Poland with Hubert Hurkacz, currently No. 16 in the men's rankings. They guided Poland to a runner-up finish in the last United Cup. This time, Poland has been drawn with the Czech Republic and Norway in Group B.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, a former Australian Open finalist, begins his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title as the talisman for third-seeded Greece, which faces Kazakhstan and Spain in Group C. Spain will be without star Carlos Alcaraz, turning to former top-10 player Pablo Carreno Busta to lead its charge. There will be intrigue around women's fourth-ranked Jasmine Paolini, who reached the final of this year's French Open and Wimbledon. She partners with Flavio Cobolli for Italy, which meets France and Switzerland in Group D.

Host Australia's fortunes rest largely on Alex de Minaur, the country's top-ranked men's player. He will face his fiance Katie Boulter when Australia meets Britain, just days after they become engaged. Argentina is also in Group F.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) Defender Alberto Rodiguez struck a brace of goals as holders Mohun Bagan Super Giant returned to winning ways with a 3-1 come-from-behind triumph over Punjab FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Thursday.

Punjab FC struck first, courtesy of a great strike by Ricky Shabong whereas the Mariners retaliated with a strong second-half performance which saw Rodriguez score in the 48th and 69th minutes while Jamie Maclaren converted from the spot in the 64th minute to seal victory.

It was a swift start for the hosts as Nikhil Prabhu tried his luck from long range and struck the crossbar, handing the Mohun Bagan Super Giant defenders and Vishal Kaith a wake-up call early on. In the 12th minute of the match, the visitors were again caught ball-watching, and this time Punjab FC made them pay, courtesy of a brilliant solo effort from Ricky Shabong.

The young midfielder found a pocket of space on the left flank and drove forward. He eventually nestled the ball into the net past Kaith as the defenders failed to close down the space in the penalty area.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant almost came up with the equaliser when Asish Rai found himself in space and made a great volley on target. But Punjab FC custodian Ravi Kumar was alert to the danger as he parried it away. While the Mariners were clearly lacking a creative outlet on the field, Punjab FC’s all-Indian backline also made life difficult for Jason Cummings and Maclaren upfront. The most impressive of the lot was Pramveer Singh, who became the youngest player to start an ISL match at the age of 17 years and 189 days.

The second half started strongly for the visitors as Rodriguez rose highest from a corner delivered by Cummings to turn in the equaliser in the 48th minute. It was an excellent delivery as the Spaniard reacted before Ravi Kumar headed it home. This was Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s seventh goal from a corner this season, the highest in the competition.

Three minutes later, things turned from bad to worse for Punjab FC as Ezequiel Vidal was penalised for a challenge on Liston Colaco. He was initially booked for the foul and was later sent off for dissent, reducing the hosts to 10 men.

Jose Molina’s men were rewarded for their persistent pressure as the referee pointed to the spot after Anirudh Thapa was brought down in the penalty area. Maclaren stood up to the spot and hammered it home, handing Mohun Bagan Super Giant the lead in the 63rd minute. Eventually, they scored the third goal in the 69th minute when Thapa turned creator following a corner and found Rodriguez in space in the penalty area. The Spaniard made no mistake in completing his brace.

Molina turned to Sahal Abdul Samad in the 78th minute replacing Maclaren and he almost increased the lead but his effort was parried away by Ravi Kumar. Eventually, the visitors did enough to secure all three points as they ended their year five points clear atop, with 29 points as compared to the second-placed Bengaluru FC’s 24.

Both teams will now play in the new year, with Mohun Bagan Super Giant returning home to host Hyderabad FC next on January 2 whereas Punjab FC will lock horns against Kerala Blasters FC on January 5.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 25 (IANS) As South Africa gear up for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, the first game of the two-match series winning which will seal them a place in the World Test Championship final, legendary pacer Allan Donald has warned the team that Pakistan would not make things easy for the hosts after getting a timely boost with their clean sweep in the ODI series.

Pakistan handed South Africa a first-ever clean sweep in a home ODI series, leaving the hosts scratching their head before the crucial Test series which starts with a Boxing Day clash at the Supersport Park in Centurion on Thursday.

Allan Donald, who gave credit to Pakistan for playing superb cricket to win the ODI series, said South Africa will have to be at their best as they need to win one of the two upcoming Test matches to seal a berth in the final of the World Test Championship.

"I know that now South Africa is on the brink of (reaching the WTC final). I think they only have to win one Test match out of the two to play in the Test Championship final. But Pakistan is not going to make it easy. With this confidence they've taken from the ODI series win into the Test series, it's not going to be easy to stop them. So, and especially on these two grounds, Pretoria and Cape Town, with pace and bounce, we know we're going to get a good Test match pitch there," said Donald in an interaction organised by the SA20 India.

However, Donald said South Africa's historic 0-3 home series defeat to Pakistan is not a reason to ring the alarm bells for the upcoming World Cup, considering that the team has done well in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2023 World Cup in India and is in the hunt for a spot in the WTC final despite being hampered by absence of some key players due to injuries.

"South Africa, with that strong team that they've got, they've kept on playing other players. And I think that Rob Walter wants to see what he has in the tank for the next Cricket World Cup. He's played a lot of players, he's rotated a lot of players. So, you know, I guess that time is now right to go and see what he's got and who he can trust and believe in for the next cricket World Cup," he said.

Donald also said that a bilateral series of 2-3 matches has become a norm nowadays unlike his times when they played five Tests and as many ODIs, with players figuring in a lot more matches every season because of the proliferation of the T20 leagues around the world.

--IANS

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Coimbatore, Dec 25 (IANS) Delhi Dhurandhars, Chandigarh Chargers, UP Falcons and Chola Veerans won their respective matches on the third day of the 11th edition of the Yuva Kabaddi Series Division 2, which turned into a Christmas spectacle at the Karpagam Academy of Higher Education here on Wednesday.

The day began with Delhi Dhurandhars claiming their maiden victory of the tournament, defeating Panchala Pride 53-29. Anuj Negi was the star performer, racking up 17 raid points, while Vinod Pal contributed a remarkable seven tackle points coming off the bench. Panchala Pride suffered their third consecutive loss despite Ankit Singh’s seven tackle points and Rahul Kumar’s nine raid points.

Chandigarh Chargers continued their impressive form, defeating Hampi Heroes 45-31 in the second match of the day. Bablu Singh delivered a stellar all-round performance with five raid points and four tackle points. Nikesh also stood out with a Super 10 and defensive contributions. Hampi’s Krupasagar D managed a Super 10 but lacked adequate support from his teammates.

UP Falcons soared to the top of the table with a dominant 52-22 victory over Vizag Victors in the third match. Rachit Yadav’s spectacular 17 raid points and Ashish Bhati’s 12 raid points proved too much for Vizag to handle. Despite Pirati Srisivatejesh’s Super 10, Vizag Victors couldn’t match the Falcons’ all-around brilliance.

The final match of the day was a nail-biter as Chola Veerans held their nerve to defeat Hyderabad Hurricanes 31-29. Iyyappan Veerapandian led the charge with a Super 10, supported ably by Arun Kumar. Despite a valiant comeback attempt by Hyderabad, with Banothu Santhosh and Suresh Oruganti both scoring Super 10s, the Hurricanes fell short by just two points.

--IANS

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Perth, Dec 25 (IANS) Kazakhstan will take on Spain in Group C while China will face Brazil in Group E in the first two matches on the opening day of the United Cup, the mixed-gender tennis tournament which will be played concurrently in Perth and Sydney from Friday.

The top season-opening team competition involves 18 teams which have been divided into six groups of three teams each with three groups playing in Perth and the other three in Sydney. The event will involve seven of the world’s Top 10 women and six of the world’s Top 12 men will represent their respective countries in the 2025 United Cup, which will conclude on January 5.

Greece are the third team in Group C while Germany completes the Group E lineup.

Group A comprises the United States, Canada, and Croatia while Group B includes Poland, Czechia, and Norway. Group D will have Italy, France, and Switzerland and will play their matches in Sydney while Great Britain, Australia, and Argentina make up Group F in the prestigious tournament which will start the Australian Open buildup for both men's and women's players.

In the tournament lung-opener, Alexander Shevchenko will start the campaign for Kazakhstan against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in the men's singles clash before World No. 6 Elena Rybakina takes on Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the women's singles. The two sets of players will team up in the mixed doubles in case the match ends in a 1-1 tie. Spain are without World No.3 Carlos Alcaraz, who won two Grand Slam titles in 2024.

In the second match of the day on Friday, World No. 5 in WTA Rankings, Qinwen Zheng will start China's campaign against World No. 13 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil while Zhizhen Zhang will take on Thiago Monteiro in the men's singles clash.

The six group toppers and one second-placed team each from Perth and Sydney will make up the eight teams that will form the quarterfinal line-up for the event.

Meanwhile, the American Top 5 stars Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz have wasted little time getting down to business at the United Cup.

Just a few hours after touching down at Perth Airport, the top seeds practiced together at RAC Arena, in pleasant conditions that were many degrees cooler than Monday’s 42-degree temperatures that scorched the city. Both players are looking to bring their hot late-year form into the new season. Gauff won the WTA Finals in Riyadh; Fritz finished runner-up at the ATP Finals in Turin to finish the year at a career-high World No. 4. in the ATP Rankings.

Fritz was a member of the United States championship team at the inaugural United Cup in 2023, which was played under a different format that featured two men’s singles, two women’s singles, and a mixed doubles. Last year the format changed to one men’s singles, one women’s singles, and a mixed doubles.

“I'm looking forward to it,” Fritz said of the tournament, which begins on Friday. “[The format] has changed a bit over the years; the year that we won, we could use our team's depth a lot more to help us. Now a lot more things can go wrong for the favourite team when it's just one [singles] match each and a deciding mixed doubles. So I'm still excited to play. I'm glad that Coco's here this year.”

Gauff, who starts the year as World No. 3, said: “We're both coming off a good year-end. And it'll be our second time playing together. So hopefully, we can do even better than the Olympics.” The United States will wait until Day 3 on Sunday for their opening match, a blockbuster against Canada that will pit Fritz against Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gauff against former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. The U.S. will play their second group match against Croatia on Day 5, December 31.

--IANS

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Madrid (Spain), Dec 25 (IANS) Kylian Mbappe roared back to form during Real Madrid’s 4-2 win over Sevilla on the weekend. The Frenchman, who has struggled since joining Los Blancos, spoke to president Florentino Perez about his struggles and vowed to bounce back.

According to a report by Spanish outlet Marca, Mbappe assured Perez, who was a long-time advocate and key in bringing the Frenchman to Spain, that he would adapt to the team and make necessary changes.

“No one at Real Madrid will regret my signing,” Mbappe was quoted as saying by Marca.

The 25-year-old remained true to his word as it took him only 10 minutes to score a screamer against the tough opposition. He went on to receive the Man of the Match honour for his impressive performance.

“I can score a lot more, I know I have a lot more to give. The last few games I've played better, I took a lot of positives from the Bilbao game. I missed a penalty and I realised at that moment I had to give my all for this shirt and play with my personality.

“I ask for only good things for all Real Madrid supporters and their families. Good things in my personal life because that's the most important thing. As a player, may it be better than 2024. Many titles, many performances like today's and to enjoy playing for Real Madrid," Mbappe told Real Madrid TV after the game.

The win over Sevilla, and Barcelona’s loss against Atletico, saw the side move past their Catalonian rivals in the La Liga table heading into the winter break. Mbappe has now scored 10 goals in 16 league games and will be instrumental in the side’s domestic and European campaign ahead of the break.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Dec 25 (IANS) Out of the 36 states and two institutional sides jumping into the fray, eight teams remain in the “City of Pearls,” determined to grab the coveted Santosh Trophy, considered the jewel of the country’s National Football Championship since 1941. With eight teams ready to deliver the knock-out punch on each other, the quarterfinal stage will be played over two days from Thursday.

A meeting between defending champions Services and 2022-23 runners-up Meghalaya is a fascinating battle on the cards. Services, who are aiming to defend the title for the first time since 2015-16, didn't start in the best possible manner as they went down 0-1 to Manipur.

However, three successive and convincing wins put them back on track for the knockout stages. But Monday's defeat to West Bengal threw off that momentum and they had to settle for third place in Group A.

Meghalaya were also a slow starter, drawing with Tamil Nadu and losing to Kerala in the first two games. But they gradually picked up form and beat Delhi and Goa to ensure a quarterfinal spot. After crashing out in the final round group stage last season, it's a much better showing from Hering Shangpliang's side this time around.

A goalless draw with Odisha meant a third consecutive clean sheet for Meghalaya, which suggests a close contest for the fourth and final semifinal spot. That was also the case the last time these two teams met in 2023-24 when Services nicked a 1-0 win thanks to a 95th-minute penalty. Bengal and Odisha, two sides with contrasting fortunes in the ongoing final rounds of the 78th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy will cross swords at the Deccan Arena.

Bengal, the 32-time champions, on paper, appear favourites. While finishing top of Group A with 13 points, they have netted 20 goals in their eight matches in the 78th Santosh Trophy Group Stage and the Final Rounds, but have conceded only one. The one goal they conceded came in their first match of the Final Rounds, a 3-1 victory against Jammu and Kashmir in Group A. The side, coached by Sanjoy Sen, has not conceded a goal for 371 minutes so far. Attacker Robi Hansda currently leads the top scorers’ charts with eight goals to his name in the 2024-25 Santosh Trophy.

Odisha, on the other hand, have managed to scrape through as the fourth-best team in Group B with five points in their kitty and just one win against former champions Goa (2-0). Kartik Hantal has been among the goals for Odisha, having netted five in the competition so far.

The 2002-03 Santosh Trophy Champions, Manipur, have managed to maintain a certain level of consistency while remaining below the general radar so far in the Final Rounds. On the one hand, they left it late in their Group A match to beat bottom side Telangana, while on the other, they have managed positive results against defending champions Services (1-0), and eventual group toppers Bengal (0-0).

Delhi had a great start to their Final Rounds campaign, but seem to have somewhat lost their momentum since a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Meghalaya, which were followed by a defeat against Kerala (0-3), and a stalemate against Goa. In terms of their history, Delhi, who had won their only Santosh Trophy title eight decades ago in 1944. Since then, they have made the quarterfinals and semifinals on several occasions, but could never progress beyond it.

Jammu and Kashmir, who finished fourth in Group A, will face what looks like an uphill task against free-scoring and unbeaten Group B winners Kerala. Seven-time champions, last in 2021-22, Kerala have already scored a staggering 29 goals in eight matches this season. Naseeb Rahman and Muhammad Ajsal, especially, are in prolific form with six goals each.

Apart from West Bengal and Manipur, they are the only remaining unbeaten team. After securing the top spot with a game to spare, head coach Biby Thomas took the opportunity to rotate the squad for the last match against Tamil Nadu on Tuesday and will have the advantage of fresher legs for the quarter-final.

Jammu and Kashmir, playing the final round for the first time since 2015-16, will be happy to have come this far in 2024-25. Unlike Kerala, they only managed to seal their last eight berth on the final matchday with a win over Rajasthan. However, their ability to bounce back from heavy defeats in the first two games against West Bengal and Services has to be appreciated. Although Jammu and Kashmir have conceded just once in their last three games, it remains to be seen how they can keep this offensive Kerala side at bay.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Dec 25 (IANS) Odisha and Delhi earned the last two quarter-final berths at the 78th Senior Men’s National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy 2024-25 at the Deccan Arena on Tuesday.

Last season's runners-up Goa and Tamil Nadu were eliminated.

In the game between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Nijo Gilbert, fresh off a stellar performance where he assisted every goal in Kerala's last match against Delhi, once again emerged as the saviour for his team. On Tuesday, Gilbert's 89th-minute strike salvaged a point for Kerala, maintaining their unbeaten run in the tournament and eliminating Tamil Nadu from the tournament without a win.

It was Tamil Nadu who started aggressively, pressing forward with vigour and determination. This high-energy approach paid off in the 25th minute when Alexander Romario Jesuraj unleashed a fierce shot that rocketed into the top corner, giving Tamil Nadu a well-deserved lead.

Despite falling behind, Kerala remained composed and gradually worked their way back into the game. Their efforts intensified as the match progressed, and the persistence finally paid off in the 89th minute. A precise cross from the left found Gilbert strategically positioned in the penalty box. Demonstrating remarkable composure and precision, he deftly redirected the ball into the top corner with a first-time half-volley.

Odisha endured a long wait to know their fate after their goalless draw in the morning against Meghalaya. Ultimately, the draw proved enough to qualify for the quarter-finals after Goa and Tamil Nadu failed to win their matches.

Meghalaya, who had already qualified for the quarter-finals, had a conservative strategy, while Odisha also weren't willing to take too many risks early on either. The defences on both ends played a crucial role, effectively neutralising any offensive threats. Opportunities were minimal, and the forwards found little room to manoeuvre.

Roshan Panna of Odisha attempted to inject some dynamism into the game with several spirited efforts to break the deadlock. Despite his endeavors to catalyse his team’s attack, the finishing touch eluded Odisha's front line throughout the match. Time and again, promising attacks fizzled out or were thwarted by Meghalaya's disciplined defence.

Delhi defended valiantly against Goa to eke out a goalless draw. The capital side were reduced to 10 men after captain Milind Negi was sent off for a rough challenge towards the end of the match. Trying to make use of the numerical advantage, Goa piled on numerous attacks. However, Delhi held firm. Their goalkeeper Vansh Kaushal was in top form as he made several saves to keep the Goa attackers at bay. Goa, runners-up to Services last season, too were frustrated throughout the match as their forwards lacked sharpness in front of the goal. Their build up play also lacked the necessary incision that could have troubled the taut Delhi defence.

Kerala, the 2021-22 champions will meet Jammu & Kashmir in the quarter-final on December 27. Tamil Nadu finished at the bottom of Group B with three points. Odisha's draw with Meghalaya in the morning was enough to qualify as the fourth-placed team from the group with five points, as Tamil Nadu and Goa failed to win their matches. Odisha will meet Group A winners West Bengal in the first quarter-final on December 26.

Meghalaya finished in second place with eight points and will face defending champions Services on December 27. Goa could only manage fifth place with five points after being held goalless by Delhi in the last match of the day, Delhi qualified in third place with seven points, and will take on Manipur on December 26.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Rashid Khan, Afghanistan's star leg-spinner, will miss the opening Test of the two-match series against Zimbabwe due to personal reasons.

According to a report by CricBuzz, the 26-year-old is scheduled to attend a charity event, and as a result, will not be available for the first Test match on December 26 in Bulawayo. He is expected to join the team for the second Test, which begins on January 2, 2025.

Rashid, who has not played a Test match since March 2021, had been absent from Afghanistan's recent Test series due to injury and rest. Following that, a back injury led to a break from red-ball cricket as advised by his physicians, causing him to miss the national team’s red ball outings. Rashid then missed Afghanistan’s next Test assignments against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ireland due to a combination of rest and injury.

Left-arm spinner Zahir Shehzad and left-arm fast-bowler Bashir Ahmad Afghan have also been added to the team after putting in some impressive performances in the domestic first-class games. The Afghanistan Test squad comprises seven uncapped players, which also includes Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmad Malik, and Riaz Hassan.

Nasir Jamal, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, and Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai are the three players who are part of the reserve players pool for the series. Afghanistan has previously won three Test matches, including one against Zimbabwe in 2021.

Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Ikram Alikhail (WK), Afsar Zazai (WK), Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ismat Alam, Azmatullah Omarzai, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Zahir Shehzad, Rashid Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad Afghan, Naveed Zadran, and Fareed Ahmad Malik.

--IANS

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Pune, Dec 24 (IANS) The U Mumba have made the PKL Season 11 Playoffs, and taken the fifth spot on the points table, as they swatted away the challenge from Bengal Warriorz, in the Badminton Hall, at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Tuesday.

U Mumba won Match 132 by a scoreline of 36-27, bringing down the curtains on a thoroughly entertaining league phase. For U Mumba, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh got 7 points, while Sunil Kumar got a High-5 and Ajith Chauhan bagged 6 points. For the Bengal Warriorz, Pranay Rane scored 12 points.

The Bengal Warriorz were out of the blocks quicker than the U Mumba in the early exchanges, racing into a slender 2-point lead. But Manjeet and Sunil Kumar responded well, as the U Mumba edged ahead. For the Bengal Warriorz, Pranay Rane was leading the attack while Ajith Chauhan was having a slow start to the game.

Pranay Rane was giving it all in the final game of the season and it was reflecting on the scores, as the U Mumba were back to playing catch up. The U Mumba though were starting to go through the gears, with Ajith Chauhan, Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar holding fort. Ajith Chauhan’s flurry of raids propelled U Mumba into a 4-point lead, with 4 minutes to go in the first half. Sunil Kumar then landed an All Out, and the Season 2 champions took charge. At the break, U Mumba led 18-10.

U Mumba, who last made the Playoffs in Season 7, picked up the pace from the get-go in the second half, as Amirmohammad Zafardanesh started things off with a three-point lead. U Mumba were marching on towards the fifth spot on the points table. 7 minutes into the second half, the Bengal Warriorz were on the wrong side of another All Out, which gave the U Mumba a 14-point lead. Meanwhile, Nitesh Kumar had picked up another High-5 for the Bengal Warriorz, and along with Pranay Rane was soldiering on. U Mumba captain Sunil Kumar too had registered another High-5 by the half-hour mark.

Shortly after, Pranay Rane got to his Super 10 and that was followed by an All Out on the U Mumba. The Bengal Warriorz were threatening to make a comeback, and with just under 7 minutes to go, faced a 7-point deficit. Pranay Rane and Nitesh Kumar were giving the U Mumba a few nervy moments in the final minutes.

However, the U Mumba had done enough and walked away with a morale boosting win, and the fifth spot on the points table.

--IANS

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