Prithviraaj Yodhas produced a dramatic comeback to hand Chero Archers their first defeat of Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2 on Day 3 at People's Plaza, Hyderabad on Saturday, 10 October, in a match that required multiple Sudden Death shootoffs to separate the two sides. Earlier in the day, Mighty Marathas registered their first win of the season with a commanding 6-0 victory over Chola Chiefs, while defending champions Rajputana Royals suffered their second consecutive defeat, going down to Kakatiya Knights.

Yodhas vs Chero: The Match of the Season

In what is arguably the most gripping contest of APL Season 2 so far, the Yodhas were pushed to the brink before levelling the score at 4-4 in regulation time by winning Set 4 against the in-form Archers. The first tiebreaker — APL's unique hit-or-miss shootoff — ended in a stalemate after all four archers from both teams shot outside the inner yellow ring, registering as misses.

The match then moved into Sudden Death, with one archer from each side alternating on an immediate hit-or-miss basis. It was Mexican recurve star Matias Grande who delivered the decisive blow, nailing an inner-ring hit in the third Sudden Death round, while Prithika Pradeep could not match him for Chero. For the Archers, Kumkum Mohod — making her first appearance of the season following her Asian Games golden run — shot impressively but could not steer her team to victory.

'This is a very small target. A little bit of luck; it was a good shot. In the first season it was smaller, and this time, it is more achievable, I think. We are happy with the win. Honestly, it is a very special feeling, but it is not about who gets the arrow to win the match; it is a team win,' Grande said after the match.

Mighty Marathas End Losing Run with 6-0 Rout

After losing both their opening matches, Mighty Marathas bounced back emphatically, beating Chola Chiefs 6-0 without dropping a single set. The Marathas were led by Mike Schloesser — nicknamed 'Mr. Perfect' — who lived up to his billing by shooting 10s with all six arrows, and anchored by Dhiraj Bommadevara, who produced a super 10 under the pressure of a winding clock in the second set to put the Marathas 4-0 ahead.

The Chiefs, who attempted to replicate their Day 2 tactic of deploying compound archers back-to-back at the start of each set, were undone by Chikitha Taniparthi's repeated 9s, which failed to generate adequate scoreboard pressure. Despite bringing on Colombia's Alejandra Usquiano — who had been in fine form on Day 2 — the Chiefs could not stem the tide. Deepika Kumari and Marcus D'Almeida erred outside the yellow zone in the third set, allowing the Marathas to clinch the match 74-72 before the fourth set was even needed. Chola Chiefs have now suffered two defeats in three matches.

Kakatiya Knights Down Rajputana Royals 6-2

In the day's third match, Kakatiya Knights defeated defending champions Rajputana Royals 6-2, inflicting a second consecutive loss on the title holders. Neeraj Chauhan, the Asian Games recurve bronze medallist, was the standout performer for the Knights, delivering clutch X-ring 10s at key moments. Local favourite Jyothi Surekha Vennam was also in fine form and drew loud backing from the crowd at People's Plaza on Necklace Road.

Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz helped the Royals take the first set with a pressure 10, but Neeraj and Vennam steered the Knights to a fine come-from-behind victory. The Knights had the chance to shoot a perfect 80 in the fourth set but the last arrow registered as a 9 — still more than sufficient to seal the win.

About APL and What Comes Next

The Archery Premier League, the world's first franchise-based archery league, was initiated by the Archery Association of India. Season 2 features six teams and 48 archers — 36 Indians and 12 elite international stars — competing at People's Plaza, Hyderabad. The league concludes on 18 October with a grand finale featuring the top four teams in the semifinals followed by the title clash.

On Sunday, Chero Archers face Kakatiya Knights looking to reassert their early-season form, while Chola Chiefs meet Prithviraaj Yodhas in a must-win clash. The day's final match pits a resurgent Mighty Marathas against defending champions Rajputana Royals, who will be desperate to arrest a two-match slide.