Vadodara, Feb 25 (IANS) The second day of the 72nd Senior Nationals Men’s Kabaddi Championship 2026 at the Sama Indoor Complex in Vadodara featured another round of dominant victories and close contests as teams across Pools intensified the battle for knockout qualification.
Pool A produced one of the closest contests of the day, as Andhra Pradesh edged Telangana 47–45 in a thrilling two-point finish. Pottla Gopi Chand scored 17 points and Gali Lakshma Reddy added 10, while Telangana’s G Raju registered 20 in a spirited effort.
And in the second Pool A match of the day, Haryana registered a commanding 49-18 victory against Telangana, with Neeraj Narwal leading the team with 11 points. He was assisted by Nitin Kumar, who amassed 9 points, along with Surjeet Singh and Nitesh Kumar, who scored 4 tackle points each.
In Pool B, Madhya Pradesh clinched a dramatic 35–34 win over Goa. Bhavani Rajput led with 14 points and Uday Parte contributed nine as MP held their nerve in the closing moments to secure a one-point victory.
In Pool C, Tamil Nadu continued their impressive campaign with a 40–21 win against Vidarbha. Sathish Kannan scored eight points, while New Young Player of PKL 12 Deepak S anchored the defence with eight tackle points as Tamil Nadu controlled proceedings from start to finish.
Pool C also witnessed Himachal Pradesh defeat Gujarat 51–34 by 17 points. U Mumba’s Anil led the charge with 14 points, supported by Pappu Kamal Kumar and Mayank Saini. Gujarat’s Mitesh Prajapati scored 13, but Himachal’s superior tackle count and four all-outs made the difference.
In Pool D, Uttar Pradesh delivered one of the biggest wins of the tournament so far, thrashing Manipur 70–33 by a 37-point margin. Uday Dabas starred with a massive 25-point performance, while Sourabh added 12. UP piled up 53 raid points and inflicted eight all-outs to completely overpower their opponents. Manipur’s Mayengbam Menson impressed with 18 points, but the side struggled to contain UP’s relentless attack.
In Pool F, Kerala secured a 45–30 victory over Chhattisgarh. Nandhu T contributed 11 points and Adithyan added 10 in a balanced attacking performance, while Kerala’s defence ensured control throughout. Sankar Mishra was the standout for Chhattisgarh with 10 points.
Pool H saw Delhi register a commanding 64–42 victory over Tripura. Ashish led from the front with 18 points, while Himanshu Singh chipped in with 14 in a comprehensive display that included six all-outs. Tripura’s A Das produced a valiant 25-point effort, but Delhi’s defensive solidity proved decisive.
With two days of action completed, the pool standings are beginning to take clearer shape, and the intensity is set to rise further as teams push for a place in the knockout stages.
–IANS
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