Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune hosted the two semifinal matches of PKL 2024 on Friday, December 27. In the first semifinal, Haryana Steelers outshined UP Yoddhas in a close encounter to secure their place in second consecutive PKL final, while in the second semifinal Patna Pirates beat Dabang Delhi to qualify for a record extending fifth PKL final. The two winning teams will now face each other in the final on December 29.
PKL 2024 semifinal 1: Haryana Steelers vs UP Yoddhas
In the first semifinal of PKL 2024, Haryana Steelers defeated UP Yoddhas by 2 points to continue their hunt for their maiden PKL title in season 11. The Yoddhas took the early lead, and it took seven minutes for the first do-or-die raid of the match to take place. Despite this, it was a slow start, and UP Yoddhas ended the first quarter with a 6-5 lead. The second quarter was as close as the first, but this time, Haryana walked away with a one-point lead at the end of the first half, with the scoreboard reading 12-11 in their favor.
Haryana continued their momentum in the second half and enforced the first all-out of the match on UP Yoddhas, extending their lead to 21-18 by the end of the third quarter. UP fought valiantly in the final quarter, but Haryana held their nerves to eventually secure the match by 28-25 and become the first team to book their place in the final of PKL 2024.
PKL 2024 semifinal 2: Dabang Delhi vs Patna Pirates
In the second semifinal, the three-time champions Patna Pirates defeated Dabang Delhi by 4 points to qualify for the final of PKL for a record-extending fifth time. Out of those five appearances, they have won three and lost one, which was against their opponents tonight, Dabang Delhi.
Patna Pirates started the game in top form, taking an 8-3 lead at the end of the first quarter. They continued their dominance in the second quarter, and with the help of an all-out on Dabang Delhi, extended their lead to 17-10 by halftime.
Dabang Delhi fought back in the third quarter, reducing the point gap, but Patna still held the lead at 22-18. Delhi briefly took the lead in the final quarter, but Patna Pirates eventually secured a 32-28 victory to become the second finalist of PKL 2024.