UP Yoddha lost to Gujarat Giants 38-31 despite a super 10 from Pardeep Narwal at Sheraton Grand, Whitefield in Bengaluru in Pro Kabaddi Season 8 on Sunday. 

Pardeep Narwal top-scored for UP Yoddha with 12 raid points while Surender Gill scored five. Sumit picked up four tackle points to bring up fifty tackle points for the season. Ashu, meanwhile, scored his first high 5 of PKL 8. 

It was a collective effort from Gujarat Giants with Ajay Kumar earning six raid points, Girish Maruti Ernak bagging six tackle points, including a high 5. Rakesh Sungroya and Parvesh Bhainswal contributed four points each.

With the seven-point loss margin, however, UP Yoddha managed to bag one point from the match. They currently sit at the fifth position on the PKL 8 points table with 58 points from 20 games. Gujarat Giants jumped three places to the sixth spot after today’s win. 

Gujarat Giants started well and reduced UP Yoddha down to three men in the first five minutes of the game. Despite a brave super tackle from Ashu, the Giants inflicted an all-out and took a comprehensive 11-4 lead. 

With six minutes left for half-time, Gujarat Giants handed UP Yoddha their second all-out of the match and extended their lead to 22-7.

UP Yoddha managed to reduce the deficit slightly by half-time with the scoreboard reading 24-12 in the favour of Gujarat Giants.

A series of successful raids and tackles pulled UP Yoddha to 16-25, leaving a solitary player on the Giants’ side of the mat. However, Ajay Kumar’s successful three-point raid brought back reinforcements for Gujarat Giants. 

Returning the favour, Pardeep Narwal cleaned up all four defenders on the opponents’ side of the mat. He picked up a six-point raid, inflicted an all-out and became the first player to cross 1300 PKL points in the history of the game 

Despite Pardeep’s heroics, the Giants were still leading 33-27 with six minutes left on the clock. In the next four minutes, UP Yoddha managed to cut the gap down to just four points. 

However, a two-point raid from Ajay Kumar, followed by a super tackle on Pardeep Narwal, took the Giants to 38-31 as the final whistle blew. 

UP Yoddha will play their penultimate match of the group stage against Dabang Delhi KC on Monday.