Published: December 29, 2025 at 6:45 am
It went down to the wire as it was a touch-and-go affair. In a fiercely contest game, Purvanchal Panthers managed to pull off a 38-37 victory over Aligarh Tigers in the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) Season 2 in Noida on Sunday evening.
Aligarh Tigers showed a strong defensive intent and forced an early all-out to take control of the game in the early stages. However, Purvanchal Panthers regrouped quickly and responded with an all-out of their own, bringing the contest back on level terms. Young raider Himesh Tewatiya played a key role in the comeback, helping Purvanchal briefly move ahead by a single point.
Aligarh Tigers recovered after being wiped out and went into halftime holding a two-point lead, setting up a tense second half. The contest remained tightly poised after the break, with both sides trading points and neither able to establish a clear advantage. The momentum shifted again when Aligarh Tigers forced another all-out, but Purvanchal Panthers responded immediately through resolute defence, inflicting an all-out of their own to regain the lead. Himesh continued to apply pressure in the raiding department, while Purvanchal’s defensive unit stepped up in the closing stages.
With the match hanging in the balance until the final raids, Purvanchal Panthers held their nerve in the dying moments to clinch a dramatic one-point victory, capping off a contest that remained unpredictable throughout. Himesh Tewatiya’s performance once again highlighted how the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League continues to provide a competitive platform for emerging talent to step up on the big stage.
There was plenty of drama on the courts during Day 4 of the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) Season 2 in Noida on Sunday night
Later in the day, Sangam Challengers registered a dominant 52–29 victory over Yamuna Yoddhas. Sangam controlled the contest from the outset, applying sustained pressure in both raiding and defence. Pankaj Thakur led the charge with 13 raid points, including 11 successful raids and two bonus points. Gautam Singh added 10 raid points, while Harshit contributed nine. Yamuna Yoddhas fought back through Ritik Sharma, who scored 15 points, but Sangam’s collective performance proved too strong for them.
The third match of the day produced yet another close finish, with Brij Stars defeating Gazab Ghaziabad 35–33. Brij Stars gained a crucial edge by inflicting two all-outs, but Gazab Ghaziabad mounted a strong late comeback.
Captain Uday Dabas, who had been kept relatively quiet for much of the match, produced a crucial super raid in the final moments to reduce the margin to one point. However, a mistimed early tackle attempt by Gazab prevented the contest from going into a tie-break, allowing Brij Stars to seal a hard-fought win.
In the final match of the day, Kashi Kings held off a second-half comeback from Awadh Ramdoots to register a 34–32 victory. Kashi dominated the early phase of the match and inflicted one all-out to establish control. Awadh Ramdoots responded in the second half, led by a strong defensive effort from Ravi Bhati, who executed four super tackles. Despite the late surge, Awadh fell short by two points. Kashi’s raiders Arjun Sirohi and Varun combined for 18 points to guide their team to a narrow but well-managed win.
