UPKL Season 2: Kanpur’s comeback and Lucknow’s dominance headline Day 6 action

Noida, Dec 30 (IANS) Kanpur Warriors staged a strong second-half comeback, while Lucknow Lions continued with their unbeaten run with another dominant display on the sixth day of Season 2 in the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) at the Noida Indoor Stadium in Noida on Tuesday.

In the opening match of the day that produced contrasting results, Kanpur Warriors scored 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.

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 on Day 6 will continue later with matches played between Awadh Ramdoots and Ganga Kings of Mirzapur, Brij Stars and Kashi Kings, and Sangam Challengers against Purvanchal Panthers.

Earlier on Monday, Ganga Kings of Mirzapur finally opened their account in the UPKL Season 2, registering a hard-fought two-point victory over JD Noida Ninjas in the opening match of Day 5 at the Noida Indoor Stadium.

Lucknow Lions continued their dominant run with a convincing 38–27 win over Kanpur Warriors, controlling the match through aggressive raiding, disciplined defence, and two all-out raids. Arjun Deshwal’s super raid proved decisive, while Kanpur relied largely on Sushant’s 10 raid points.

Yamuna Yoddhas registered a one-sided 48–31 victory over Purvanchal Panthers, building an early lead and sealing the contest with two quick second-half all-outs, led by Ritik Sharma and Lakshya. In the final match,

Brij Stars staged an impressive second-half comeback to defeat Sangam Challengers 45–38, driven by Nikhil Chaudhary’s crucial super raid, super tackle, and a decisive late all-out.

--IANS

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