The Telugu Talons secured their third straight victory, defeating the Rajasthan Patriots 33-22 in match 19 of the Premier Handball League (PHL) 2023 here on Saturday.
Naseeb’s emblematic performance in attack for the Talons saw him jump to the number No.1 spot in the scoring charts with 55 goals.
Playing at a jam-packed Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium, both teams started the game at a blistering pace. Naseeb Singh and Anil Khudia of the Talons looked on song as they were wreaking havoc on the Patriot’s defence in the opening minutes of the game.
While Arjun Lakra and Mohit Ghanghas of Rajasthan were expertly helping their team keep pace with the Talons. Although the game was being played at a rapid pace both teams were evenly matched after the first 15 minutes of the game.
Halfway through the first period, the scores read 4-5 in favour of the Talons who held a slender lead over the Patriots. The Talons soon after upped the ante as they started marking the Rajasthan players very tightly.
In turn, the Talons were making a lot of turnovers in their favour. This resulted in the Talons extending their lead despite Dmitry Kireev and Mohit Ghanghas trying their best to make sure Rajasthan stays within touching distance of Telugu. The half came to an end as the scores read 10-14 in favour of Telugu Talons.
Fernando Nunes’ Talons came out for the second half looking to carry their momentum from the first period. Rajasthan on the other hand were looking to assert their presence in the match. Naseeb who joined the 50-goal club in this game and in typical fashion was scoring with devastating effect from the wing.
Raghu Kumara and Davinder Singh Bhullar of the Talons were also doing their bit in the game to support Anil Khudia and Naseeb going forward. Kailash Patel also came on in the second half and helped his team extend their lead further. Halfway through the second period, the Talons had established a healthy lead as the scores read 16-26, while the Patriots’ attack lacked vigour.
Rajasthan brought on Ahmad Al-Otabi to pose a new tactical challenge for the Talons and had an instant impact but was unable to help his team take control of the game. In reply, Telugu brought on their captain Shubham Sheoran, who proved to be extremely effective in exploiting the gaps in the Patriots’ defence which did not allow Rajasthan a way back into the game. Soon after the game came to an end as the scores read 22-33 in favour of the Talons who had secured a resounding victory against the Patriots.
Kailash Patel of the Telugu Talons was the top scorer for his team in the match with seven goals, while Mohit Ghanghas and Ahmad Al-Otabi were the top scorers for the Rajasthan Patriots in the game with five goals apiece. Davinder Singh Bhullar of the Talons was adjudged to be the most valuable player of the match.
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