APL Season 2: Marathas, Kakatiya Knights win to join four-way tie at six points
Synopsis
Four teams are deadlocked on six points at the APL Season 2 halfway mark after a stunning Day 5 in Hyderabad. Mighty Marathas' perfect-scoring Aman Saini led a come-from-behind shootoff win over Chero Archers, while Kakatiya Knights halted Prithviraaj Yodhas' charge for the lead. With the grand finale on 18 October, every remaining match is now a must-watch.
Key Takeaways
Mighty Marathas beat Chero Archers 4-4 (2-1) in a shootoff on 12 October , their third consecutive win.
Kakatiya Knights defeated Prithviraaj Yodhas 6-2 , denying Yodhas sole leadership of the standings.
Rajputana Royals ended their losing run with a 5-1 win over Chola Chiefs , climbing to four points.
Four teams — Marathas, Knights, Chero, and Yodhas — are level on six points at the halfway stage.
Aman Saini finished with a perfect 60/60 in regulation and added the shootoff hit to his tally.
The APL Season 2 grand finale is scheduled for 18 October at People's Plaza, Hyderabad .
The Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2 reached its halfway mark on Monday, 12 October in Hyderabad with a dramatic set of results that leaves four teams locked on six points apiece after five rounds. Mighty Marathas and Kakatiya Knights defeated in-form Chero Archers and Prithviraaj Yodhas respectively, denying both sides the chance to pull clear at the top of the standings. Defending champions Rajputana Royals also returned to winning ways, defeating Chola Chiefs to stay in contention on four points.
Match 1: Marathas Survive Shootoff Thriller Against Chero
The standout contest of the evening saw Mighty Marathas claw back from a deficit to beat Chero Archers 4-4 (2-1) in APL's signature hit-or-miss shootoff. Aman Saini and Dhiraj Bommadevara nailed their arrows into the yellow ring in the tiebreaker, while Chero's other three archers registered misses — compound world No. 1 Mathias Fullerton was the sole Chero archer to convert in the shootoff.
Chero started strongly, taking the first set with Yashdeep Bhoge — nominated in place of the rested Atanu Das — contributing two fine arrows for a 2-0 lead. The second and third sets were split, with recurve stars Bommadevara and Asian Games double gold medallist Kumkum Mohod both producing 9s in the second set and Kumkum posting a sensational 10 in the third to level the contest.
The fourth set proved pivotal. Both Bommadevara and Kumkum ended with 10s, but Saini's first arrow was upgraded from 9 to 10, handing the Marathas the set and ultimately forcing the shootoff. Saini finished regulation with a perfect 60 out of 60 and then added the match-winning shootoff hit. 'It's easy for me,' he joked after the match. 'There is a process behind all this, a lot of hard work. It gives a lot of joy when results pay off for the team.' This was Marathas' third consecutive win after opening the season with two defeats, while Chero have now lost two matches in tiebreakers this season.
Match 2: Royals End Losing Run, Chiefs Remain Rooted to the Bottom
Rajputana Royals registered a commanding 5-1 victory over Chola Chiefs to record their second win of the season. Chiefs struggled from the outset, failing to release their final arrow in time in the first set and managing only 63 and 69 in the opening two sets. When Chiefs introduced star recurve archers Deepika Kumari and Marcus D'Almeida as substitutes for the third set, the deficit was already too steep to recover from.
Even the quality of Kumari and D'Almeida could not turn the tide as Mete Gazoz nailed a crucial 10 with his final arrow to seal an easy third-set win for the Royals. Chiefs remain stranded at the bottom of the table with just one win in the first half of the season, while Royals move to four points and keep their semifinal hopes alive.
Match 3: Knights Overpower Yodhas to Deny Them the Lead
Kakatiya Knights, boosted by the return of Austrian compound star Nico Wiener, raced to a 4-0 lead against Prithviraaj Yodhas before eventually closing out a 6-2 victory. Although compound ace Jyothi Surekha Vennam was below her best, Wiener combined with recurve archers Neeraj Chauhan and Elia Canales to keep Yodhas at bay despite a spirited third-set fightback. The result denied Yodhas what could have been a solitary lead in the standings.
Standings and What Is at Stake
Four teams — Mighty Marathas, Kakatiya Knights, Chero Archers, and Prithviraaj Yodhas — are all level on six points. Rajputana Royals follow on four points, while Chola Chiefs trail with just one win. The top four teams at the end of the round-robin phase will advance to the semifinals, with the grand finale scheduled for 18 October at People's Plaza, Hyderabad.
Tuesday marks the start of the second half of the league phase. In-form Chero Archers face defending champions Rajputana Royals in the first match, followed by Prithviraaj Yodhas against Mighty Marathas, before the Southern Derby between Kakatiya Knights and Chola Chiefs rounds off the day. The APL Season 2 is being broadcast on SonyLIV, Doordarshan, the Archery Association of India YouTube channel, and Archery+, with tickets available on District by Zomato.
Best Archers of Day 5
The ₹1 lakh daily best-archer awards went to: recurve male — Yashdeep Bhoge (Chero Archers); recurve female — Elia Canales (Kakatiya Knights); compound male — Mathias Fullerton (Chero Archers); compound female — Parneet Kaur (Mighty Marathas). With the second half of the league phase beginning Tuesday, the race for the final four promises to be among the tightest in the tournament's short history.
Point of View
But the league's real challenge is converting this excitement into sustained national viewership. Four teams tied on six points with a shootoff deciding the day's biggest match is a compelling format argument — yet archery still struggles for prime-time mindshare in India. The Aman Saini-versus-Fullerton narrative, a domestic compound archer outscoring a world No. 1 in a tiebreaker, is precisely the kind of story the sport needs to promote. Whether broadcasters and the Archery Association of India capitalise on it will determine whether APL becomes a fixture on India's sporting calendar or a well-run footnote.
NationPress
13 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in APL Season 2 on Day 5?
On 12 October in Hyderabad, Mighty Marathas beat Chero Archers in a shootoff and Kakatiya Knights defeated Prithviraaj Yodhas, leaving four teams level on six points at the halfway stage of the round-robin phase. Rajputana Royals also won to stay in contention on four points.
How does the APL hit-or-miss shootoff work?
When two teams are tied at the end of regulation sets, the match goes to APL's signature hit-or-miss shootoff, where each team's archers shoot one arrow each. The team with the most hits in the tiebreaker wins — Mighty Marathas won 2-1 in this format against Chero Archers on Day 5.
Who are the current top teams in APL Season 2?
After five matches, four teams — Mighty Marathas, Kakatiya Knights, Chero Archers, and Prithviraaj Yodhas — are tied on six points each. Rajputana Royals are on four points, while Chola Chiefs are bottom with one win.
When is the APL Season 2 grand finale?
The APL Season 2 grand finale is scheduled for 18 October at People's Plaza in Hyderabad, following semifinals featuring the top four teams from the round-robin phase.
Where can I watch the Archery Premier League Season 2?
APL Season 2 is being broadcast on SonyLIV, Doordarshan, the Archery Association of India YouTube channel, and Archery+. Tickets for in-person attendance are available on District by Zomato.
