PKL 2025: Bengaluru Bulls edge out Tamil Thalaivas to win Southern Derby

The Bengaluru Bulls earned a hard-fought 33-29 victory over the Tamil Thalaivas at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday night.

Led by another Super 10 for Alireza Mirzaian, and a High Five for Sanjay Dhull, it was a clash that could have gone either way before the season 6 winners secured the win. It was also a milestone moment for Arjun, who completed 1300 points in the PKL.

The Bulls began the contest on the front foot, with Alireza Mirzaian looking sharp in attack and Yogesh holding steady in defence. Their intent was clear as they pushed the Thalaivas onto the backfoot in the opening exchanges, forcing errors and capitalising on them to stay ahead on the scoreboard.

The turning point came when Nitesh Kumar executed a strong

tackle on Aashish Malik, handing the Thalaivas their first lead of the match. From that point, both teams traded blows with neither allowing the other to break away. As the first ten minutes drew to a close, the clash had all the makings of a tightly contested affair, with the scoreline of 9-9 reflecting the balance of play.

The second quarter of the match continued in the same high-intensity fashion as the opening exchanges, with both the Bulls and the Thalaivas refusing to give an inch. The Bulls looked to press their advantage through Alireza Mirzaian's sharp raids and Deepak Sankar's strong tackles, while Ganesha Hanamantagol chipped in with valuable points.

However, the Thalaivas struck back just as effectively, with Arjun Deshwal orchestrating raids and Rohit Beniwal keeping the scoreboard ticking. The seesaw battle ensured that neither side could break away, as every successful raid was quickly matched by the opposition.

The highlight of this period came when Deshwal's successful raid inflicted an ALL OUT on the Bulls, tilting the momentum towards the Thalaivas. Tackles from Nitesh Kumar and Ronak ensured the Thalaivas stayed in the contest. At halftime, the Thalaivas hold a slender 18-17 lead, and with both sides trading blows throughout the first half, the contest remains too close to call.

Both sides produced solid defensive plays, with Deepak Sankar and Sanjay standing tall for the Bulls, while Arulnanthababu and Ronak answered back for the Thalaivas. Alireza Mirzaian continued to be the spark in attack for the Bulls, chipping in with key raid points, while Rohit Beniwal tried to keep the Thalaivas in touch with his steady contributions.

It was, however, the Bulls who edged ahead by capitalising on crucial moments. Deepak's successful tackles on Arjun Deshwal and Himanshu proved decisive, while Alireza added further pressure by sending Nitesh Kumar to the bench. Although Beniwal hit back with a Do-Or-Die raid, the Bulls' defensive resilience ensured they carried a narrow two-point lead at the 30-minute mark, with the score reading 23-21.

The final 10 minutes of the contest underlined just how evenly matched the two sides were. Arjun kept the Thalaivas in the hunt with his timely raids, completing 1300 raid points in the league, while Alireza answered back for the Bulls. Sanjay also stood tall in defence, ensuring that neither attack ran away with the game. With every raid and tackle being matched blow for blow, the match stayed too close to call.

In the dying moments, however, the Bulls found the big play they were looking for. A brilliant Super Tackle by Sanjay in the final minute turned the tide firmly in their favour. That defensive masterstroke denied the Thalaivas a chance to mount a comeback. It proved to be the difference as Bengaluru Bulls sealed a hard-fought 33-29 win.