Patna: The sporting spirit in Bihar shone bright on Thursday, as the Patna Pirates climbed to eighth place in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) standings with a dominant victory, while the Bihar Women’s Under-19 cricket team departed for Maharashtra to compete in a national T20 tournament.
In the 105th match of PKL Season 12, held at New Delhi’s Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium, the Patna Pirates overwhelmed Dabang Delhi KC’s B team 61–26 to keep their playoff hopes alive. With this win, Patna moved up to eighth on the points table and now await a crucial fixture against the Jaipur Pink Panthers — a victory in which could secure their qualification for the playoffs.
Ayan led from the front, scoring 20 points, while Ankit added 11 to the tally. The defensive duo of Navdeep and Deepak contributed six and three points respectively, ensuring Delhi never found their footing. Delhi, already guaranteed a top-two finish, chose to rest key players, fielding a second-string side. Akshit stood out for Delhi with a Super 10, and Raman Singh impressed in defense with four points.
Meanwhile, in another sporting development, the Bihar Women’s Under-19 T20 cricket team flew out from Patna Airport to Aurangabad, Maharashtra, to participate in the BCCI-organised national tournament starting October 26. The team was given a warm send-off and best wishes by officials of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA).
The squad will be captained by East Champaran’s Akshara Gupta, with Siwan’s Julie Kumari as vice-captain. Players were selected from various districts based on their performance in the state selection trials. The coaching and support team includes head coach Zeeshan Bin Wasi, assistant coach Rakhi Sinha, strength and conditioning coach Anu Kumari, and physiotherapist Nikita Kumari.
Bihar will open their campaign against Andhra Pradesh on October 26, followed by matches against Puducherry (October 27), Punjab (October 29), Uttarakhand (October 31), and Tamil Nadu (November 2).
