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Sonipat Stars opened the Kabaddi Champions League with a 37-31 win. They beat Gurugram Gurus in the league's first match at Sports University of Haryana, Rai on Sunday (January 25).
Sonipat led at half-time and survived a late fightback. Raider Ayan Lochab and defender Nitin Rawal took individual honours.
Balanced first half with Sonipat holding narrow lead
Sonipat Stars started well through ace raider Ayan Lochab. He led most raids and pushed them to a 10-8 lead at the first strategic time-out. Gurugram hit back when Sonipat went down to two, then one player. Yet Sonipat regrouped and closed the half ahead, at 17-15.
The second half began cautiously, with both teams failing first raids. A run of do-or-die raids followed as defences stayed tight. The key moment came from Lochab on a do-or-die raid.
He scored and then helped a crucial tackle. Gurugram dropped to one player and soon faced an all-out.
Sonipat build decisive lead before late Gurugram surge
That all-out pushed Sonipat Stars ahead at 28-21. This came with nine minutes left before the second strategic break. After the time-out, Gurugram Gurus showed good fight. They cut an eight-point gap to just two. The closing minutes saw tense raids and strong tackles from both sides.
Super tackle and final raid secure Sonipat victory
Sonipat stayed calm under late pressure from Gurugram. They pulled off a super tackle in the final minute. Two more points in the last raid sealed the 37-31 result. Lochab earned Tonight's Raider award, while Gurugram's Nitin Rawal received Tonight's Defender for his efforts.
Match statistics from Kabaddi Champions League opener
The full-time score read Sonipat Stars 37, Gurugram Gurus 31. Scoring data from the league opener is given below.
| Category | Sonipat Stars | Gurugram Gurus |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 37 | 31 |
| Raid Points | 19 | 22 |
| Tackle Points | 14 | 8 |
| Extras | 2 | 2 |
| All-out Points | 2 | 0 |
