New Delhi, Oct 28 (NationPress) The Telugu Titans brought an end to the Patna Pirates’ remarkable journey with a crucial 46-39 victory in Eliminator 3 of Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night. With an outstanding performance from Bharat Hooda, who scored 23 points, the Titans are set to clash with the Season 10 champions Puneri Paltan on Wednesday night for a chance to enter the final.

On the opposing side, Ayan Lohchab showcased another stellar performance, marking his place in history as the first PKL raider to achieve over 20 points in six matches within a single season. He concluded the season with a remarkable total of 316 raid points, significantly surpassing his previous tally of 184 points in PKL 11, playing a pivotal role in the Pirates’ eight-match winning streak leading to Eliminator 3.

Both teams ignited the match with an energetic start, exchanging points right away. Ayan faced an early tackle in his first raid, followed by Vijay Malik being halted immediately after. However, the Pirates quickly took the lead, spearheaded by Ayan’s two-point raid, which included touches on Ankit and Praful Zaware, followed by another touch on Shubham Shinde.

Six minutes into the match, a tackle on Titans’ skipper Vijay by Navdeep resulted in the first ALL OUT. Bharat maintained pressure on the Titans post-All Out, executing a successful two-point raid against Balaji D. and Deepak. After a series of empty raids, Ankit Rana secured a touch point, extending the Pirates' lead to four points by the conclusion of the first quarter, with the score at 13-9.

Ayan reached the milestone of 300 raid points in a season following a successful raid on Ajit Pawar, becoming the joint-fastest raider to achieve this feat alongside Pardeep Narwal and Pawan Sehrawat from Season 7, as the three-time champions continued to showcase their skills.

Navdeep's tackle on Bharat during a Do-or-Die raid propelled him to the top of the tackle points leaderboard. Nevertheless, the Titans did not relent. Shubham tackled Ayan, and Chetan Sahu managed a touch on Deepak, narrowing the gap to just one point. The Titans eventually inflicted an All Out on the Pirates, taking a lead of 22-20 at halftime.

Following the break, Bharat executed a successful raid on Ankit, extending the lead to three points, and achieved his Super 10 with a touch point on Ashish Birwal. The Titans inflicted a second All Out on the Pirates, widening their lead to 10 points as they began to dominate the match. Ayan and Navdeep struggled to gain support from their teammates, who failed to score crucial points.

Ayan completed his Super 10 with a successful raid on Shubham Shinde as the Pirates attempted to claw their way back. He then executed a two-point raid with a dubki that caught Titans’ Ankit and Chetan Sahu, setting up a tense final quarter with the score at 35-28.

A second All Out was inflicted on the Titans, reducing the deficit to just five points. Navdeep completed his fourth High Five of the season, while Ayan continued to attack the Titans, eventually being tackled by Vijay Malik as Bharat kept his team afloat with a successful raid on Balaji D.

The Titans consistently answered every point scored by the Pirates. Titans defender Ankit tackled Milan Dahiya, and Bharat, who also crossed 200 raid points this season, managed touches on Ankit Kumar Rana and Deepak.

As the match reached its thrilling conclusion, Bharat executed a Super Raid, sealing the fate of the Pirates. Their remarkable playoff journey concluded with a close five-point defeat as the Titans prepare for a crucial encounter in Qualifier 2 against Puneri Paltan.