Ultimate Kho Kho: Odisha Juggernauts continue dominant show, beat Telugu Yoddhas by 9 points

Pune: Suraj Lade’s excellent attacking show and Vishal’s powerful defence guided Odisha Juggernauts to a sixth successive win in the inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho by beating Telugu Yoddhas at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here on Sunday.

Suraj Lade captured four opposition defenders to score 10 points while Vishal showcased tremendous defensive skills to spend 3.53 minutes on the mat, adding six bonus points for his side as they notched up a stunning comeback win by nine points with a score of 48-39.

Gowtham M.K was the other top performer for the winning side with nine points while from Telugu Yoddhas, Adarsh Mohite impressed with nine points.

By adding three more points to their tally with this win, Odisha Juggernauts have now consolidated their top position with 21 points, four more than second-placed Gujarat Giants.

Telugu Yoddhas started the match aggressively as Mohite gave them four points within a fraction of seconds by skilfully dismissing Odisha Juggernauts’ skipper Dipesh More and Dinesh Naik as they ended the first turn with 20 points lead.

Captain Pratik Waikar added two more bonus points to the tally with defence of 3.59 minutes as, despite coming after two back-to-back losses, Telugu Yoddhas made a strong start against in-form Odisha Juggernauts with a 22-18 lead in the first innings.

Odisha Juggernauts’ defenders Vishal and Subhasis Santra showcased exceptional defensive skills to allow only 19 points to Telugu Yoddhas in the third turn. While Vishal defended for 3.53 minutes, scoring six points, Santra added two points for his stay of 2.42 minutes.

Table-toppers Odisha Juggernauts, however, threw caution to the wind in the crucial final turn. They captured nine opposition players, scoring 22 points to register a comfortable win in the end.

On Monday, Chennai Quick Guns will lock horns with Mumbai Khiladis while Telugu Yoddhas take on Gujarat Giants.

(IANS)