Sehrawat’s 39-point performance powers Bengaluru Bulls into the playoffs

‘Hi-Flyer’ Pawan Sehrawat produced a performance to last the ages as Bengaluru Bulls booked their vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 playoffs spot with a 59-36 win over Haryana Steelers at the Tau Devilal Sports Complex in Panchkula on Wednesday. Sehrawat finished the match with a mind-boggling 39 raid points – the most by any player in league history.

Bengaluru Bulls started the match well and were in the lead during the early stages. The momentum though shifted very quickly in favour of the home side after Prashanth Kumar Rai and talisman Vikash Kandola found their rhythm in attack. The duo of Rai and Kandola pulled off clinical raids in quick succession to help their side inflict an All-Out in the eight minute and take a 11-5 lead.

However, the defending champions came storming back into the contest thanks to penetrative raiding by Sehrawat as well as solid defending. They then enforced an All-Out with less than seven minutes left in the half to move into a 16-15 lead.

Sehrawat continued to trouble Haryana Steelers’ defenders after the reset and picked them apart one at a time as Bengaluru Bulls soon enforced another All-Out to extend their lead to 26-17. In keeping with the theme of the half, Sehrawat ended the opening period with a point and the record for most points by a raider in the first half as Bengaluru Bulls went into the break with a 28-18 lead.

The first point of the second period was predictably a Sehrawat raid point, while Rai scored Haryana Steelers’ opening points of the half. Containing Sehrawat, however, was proving to be an unsolvable puzzle for Haryana Steelers as they struggled to come up with any answer for the ‘Hi-Flyer’. A three-point raid by him helped usher in another All-Out on Haryana Steelers with seven and a half minutes left.

Sehrawat went on to pass ‘Record-Breaker’ Pardeep Narwal’s record for most raid points in a match in the closing stages of the encounter as the spectators looked on in awe. The defending champions enforced a fourth All-Out with a little over two minutes left on the clock, while Sehrawat continued to score raid points effortlessly till the final whistle as Bengaluru Bulls registered a comfortable win to seal their playoffs berth.

Top Performers:

Haryana Steelers –

Best Raider – Prashanth Kumar Rai (17 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Ravi Kumar (1 Tackle Point)

Bengaluru Bulls –

Best Raider – Pawan Sehrawat (39 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Mahender Singh (4 Tackle Points)