Telugu Titans secured a very important 31-29 victory over Bengal Warriorz in Match 67 of Season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Noida Indoor Stadium here on Thursday. The hero for their win once again was Vijay Malik, whose 14 points were crucial as they quelled a late challenge by Bengal Warriorz to secure the five points.

The win also moved the Telugu Titans above the Haryana Steelers to the top of the standings before their clash against the Bengaluru Bulls in the second match of the night.

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The Bengal Warriorz started strong, with early points for Pranay Rane and Manjeet. However, the Telugu Titans – led by Vijay Malik yet again – used the momentum to shift the tide in their favour. He got a raid that ended in three points as he got Fazel Atrachali and Manjeet, while Vishwas S. stepped into the lobby, giving away a non-raid technical point.

The excellent all-round performance from the Telugu Titans was complemented by their defence and attack, as Vijay Malik got Fazel Atrachali in a do-or-die raid. Vishwas S. was then unsuccessful in his raid attempt as the Telugu Titans inflicted an All Out on the Bengal Warriorz.

This extended the lead to 10 points as the first half ended with the scoreline reading 19-9 in favour of the Telugu Titans.

The second half was no different, as the Telugu Titans maintained their lead over the Bengal Warriorz. With the hope of mounting a comeback, raiders Pranay Rane and Nitin Kumar stepped up with raid points, while Hem Raj successfully tackled Ashish Narwal in a do-or-die raid. But Vijay – who had completed a well-earned Super 10 for his team – was equally adept in keeping his team in front.

The Bengal Warriorz closed the gap on their opponents with an important All Out in the fifth minute, as the difference between the two teams was reduced to just five points.

Sushil Kambrekar was brought onto the mat and earned two very by the Bengal Warriorz important Raid Points that got both Sagar and Ankit in one fell swoop. It was a little too late though at the end of the 40 minutes, as Ashish Narwal and Shankar Gadai closed out a well-earned win by a difference of two points.