Hyderabad pip Bengaluru to clinch PBL title

Hyderabad Hunters defeated Bengaluru Blasters 4-3 in the final of the Premier Badminton League (PBL) at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium here on Sunday.

With the match locked 3-3 going into the last match of the tie, Hyderabad's mixed doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Pia Zebadiah got the better of Kim Sa Rang and N. Sikki Reddy 15-11, 15-12 to seal the title for the hosts.

However, Bengaluru had caught a good start. Their men's doubles pair of Mathias Boe and Kim Sa Rang registered a 15-9, 15-10 victory over Markis Kido and Yoo Yeon Seong to make it 1-0.

Lee Hyun II took the responsibility of playing Hyderabad's 'Trump Match'. He defeated Shubhankar Dey 15-7, 15-13 as Hyderabad led 2-1.

Bengaluru fought back immediately as their reigning world champion Viktor Axelsen, playing the 'Trump Match' crushed B. Sai Praneeth 15-8, 15-10.

Following the win of the Danish star, Bengaluru got in the lead 3-2. Axelsen stamped his authority over Praneeth as he continued his unbeaten run in the PBL.

Olympic 2016 champion and two-time World Championship winner Carolina Marin pulled Hyderabad level 3-3 after the Spaniard edged past Kirsty Gilmour 15-8, 15-14.

Later, young Indian Satwik and Indonesian Zebadiah stole the show as they got the better of Rang and Sikki.

--IANS

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