Published: December 31, 2025 at 7:24 am
Kanpur Warriors staged a strong second-half comeback, while Lucknow Lions continued their unbeaten run with, yet another dominate display as it turned out to be a day of contrasting contests at the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) Season 2 at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Kanpur Warriors began the day by registering a hard-fought 35–30 victory over Aligarh Tigers. Aligarh Tigers, playing without key raider Vinay, were led by Kunal Bhati, who produced an impressive first-half performance, scoring consistently and helping his side inflict an early all-out. Aligarh went into halftime with a five-point lead. However, the momentum shifted after the break as Kanpur Warriors tightened their defence and capitalised on Kunal being kept quiet in the second half.
Led by Sushant Chaudhary, who finished with an outstanding 17 raid points, Kanpur overturned the deficit, opened up a five-point lead of their own, and managed the closing stages effectively to seal the comeback win.
Lucknow Lions maintain clean slate
The second match of the day saw Lucknow Lions underline their supremacy with a commanding 42–21 win over JD Noida Ninjas. The contest began as a tactical defensive battle, with both teams keeping key raiders under control and Lucknow holding a narrow one-point lead at halftime. The match opened up in the second half as Lucknow’s defence, led by Nishant Raghuvanshi and Mohd Amaan, grew increasingly effective. Young raider Akash Nain stepped up with impactful raids, well supported by Arjun Deshwal and Arya Deshwal. Lucknow inflicted three all-outs in the second half, pulling away decisively to maintain their 100 per cent record in the league.
Action from Day 6 of the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) Season 2 at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Tuesday evening
Awadh Ramdoots edge out Ganga Kings of Mirzapur
Later in the evening, Awadh Ramdoots edged Ganga Kings of Mirzapur 44–38 in the league’s first-ever tie-breaker. The contest remained evenly poised through the first half, with Awadh holding a narrow three-point lead at the break. An early all-out in the second half helped Awadh Ramdoots stretch the gap, but Ganga Kings of Mirzapur responded strongly, closing the deficit and forcing an all-out of their own. With both teams trading raids and all-outs, the scores were eventually locked at 34–34, pushing the match into a tiebreaker. Awadh showed greater composure in the decisive phase, scoring 10 points in the tie-breaker, including a crucial super raid, to seal a memorable win.
Kashi Kings reign over Brij Stars
In the fourth match of the night, Kashi Kings continued their unbeaten run with a 45–39 victory over Brij Stars after a strong second-half surge. Kashi Kings took an early lead through an opening super raid, but Brij Stars fought back and inflicted an all-out late in the first half to move ahead by five points, before Kashi Kings reduced the margin to trail by just two at halftime. The momentum shifted decisively after the break when Kashi inflicted an early all-out. The turning point came when young raider Gaurav Kumar, brought in briefly to prevent another all-out, produced a four-point super raid, swinging the match firmly in Kashi’s favour. Despite a standout individual effort from Brij Stars’ Vishal Nirwal, Kashi maintained control to close out the contest.
Sangam Challengers dominate Purvanchal Panthers
The final match of the day saw Sangam Challengers register a dominant 48–23 win over Purvanchal Panthers. Sangam controlled proceedings from the outset, building a steady lead as Purvanchal’s raiders struggled to find rhythm. The gap widened significantly in the second half when Purvanchal were all-out twice, allowing Sangam’s raiding unit to take complete command. Pankaj Thakur led the charge with a Super 10, well supported by Tushar, as Sangam rounded off Day 6 with a comprehensive victory.
