Ultimate Kho Kho 2022: Telugu Yoddhas emerge runner-up

Telugu Yoddhas lost to Odisha Juggernauts 45-46 in the final of the inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho

Hyderabad: Telugu Yoddhas lost to Odisha Juggernauts 45-46 in the final of the inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge, Pune on Sunday.

Suraj Lande’s sensational sky dive helped Odisha Juggernauts to clinch the title.
Odisha Juggernauts chose to defend as Vishal showcased brilliant skills to put a challenge for the league’s best attacking side, Telugu Yoddhas. In the first turn, he defended for four minutes and 23 seconds to score eight bonus points for Odisha Juggernauts and then skipper Dipesh More and Dilip Khandavi added two more points with their unbeaten stay of 2.37 minutes. Odisha Juggernauts held Telugu Yoddhas to 10-10 in the first turn.

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Telugu Yoddhas, the first team to reach 100 defensive points in Ultimate Kho Kho, responded well after switching positions as they not only restricted Odisha Juggernauts to 13 points but also added eight points with the help of Adarsh Mohite’s 4.12-minute defence. However, Odisha Juggernaut kept themselves ahead with a narrow 23-20 lead at the end of the nail-biting first innings.
After Telugu Yoddhas, managed to add 21 points in the third turn to take 41-27 lead, Sachin Bhargo provided two crucial points for his side and also kept Odisha Juggernauts at bay for 2.44 minutes. When he was dismissed, Telugu Yoddhas were in lead at 45-43 with just 1.24 minutes left.

However, Lande, who tested the defence of Telugu Yoddhas with his stay of 3.03 minutes in the third turn, had different plans for Odisha Juggernauts. With just 14 seconds remaining in the game, he captured Avdhut Patil with a superb skydive that not only added three winning points for Odisha Juggernauts but also helped them win the title. Lande scored nine points in attack for the winning side while Rohan Shingade secured 11 points for Telugu Yoddhas.