‘Seven-star’ Rajputana Royals through to Archery Premier League semis, Kakatiya Knights almost out of the race

Abhishek verma in action.

Rakesh Thapliyal

New Delhi: After a washout on Tuesday, the Archery Premier League (APL) saw the teams playing two matches each in two session on Wednesday at the Yamuna Sports Complex here in the national capital, at the end of which the unbeaten Rajputana Royals had taken their winning streak to seven, while the Kakatiya Knights succumbed to their sixth defeat.

In the afternoon session, the Chero Archers began the day by beating the Mighty Marathas 5-1. In the second match, the Royals locked horns with the Chola Chiefs as Ojas Deotale returned for the Royals, who took home full points once again with a 6-2 win in four sets.

The afternoon session ended with the Knights going down to the Prithviraaj Yodhas 1-5.

Later in the evening, all six teams returned for the double header as rain stayed away from the capital and the temperatures remained perfect throughout the day.

The crowd witnessed the Royals staying on top and confirming their semifinal spot with a seventh consecutive win, beating the Knights, who lost 1-5 for their sixth defeat in seven matches. It virtually eliminated them from the race to finish in the top four.

It followed the game between Chola Chiefs and Chero Archers, which saw the Chiefs’ big guns Brady Ellison and Deepika Kumari rising to the occasion at the very end for a 6-2 victory.

The day ended with a classic as the Mighty Marathas got the better of Prithviraj Yodhas in a tight 5-3 win that witnessed the teams heading into the decisive fourth set tied at 3-3.

Leading the table with an all-win record in seven matches are the Royals with 14 points and a massive set win/loss difference of 29. The Marathas’ win over the Yodhas was their fifth in seven matches, giving them 10 points and a foot in the semis.

The Chiefs and the Yodhas have six points each from three wins apiece, but the Chiefs are ahead on third place with set win/loss difference of -2 compared to -10 for the Yodhas. The Chero Archers are positioned at No. 5 with two wins.