Bengaluru Raptors wins Premier Badminton League

Bengaluru Raptors became the first team in the Premier Badminton League to win back-to-back titles when it scored a 4-2 win over the first-time finalist North Eastern Warriors, in the fifth Edition final.

Once again, with scores tied two-all, it was a doubles match which decided the fate of the winner. And this time the mixed doubles pair of Chan Peng Soon and Eom Hye Won, playing the Trump match for Raptors lived up to the expectations of the huge number of Bengaluru fans in attendance to get the better of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Kim Ha Na and win the trophy for their team.

Earlier, in the first men's singles match, Sai Praneeth, World Championships bronze medallist and captain of Raptors, came back strongly after losing the first game to outplay world No.18, Lee Cheuk Yiu. It was a performance which should have pleased even World No. 2 and Praneeth’s teammate Tai Tzu Ying. Though he was erratic in the first game, the crowd favorite stepped into a different zone in the next two games, especially after winning a 39-stroke rally point at the start of the second game.

Then in the men’s doubles, Warriors pair of Bodin Isara and Lee Yong Dae, playing their Trump match, had to put their best foot forward to ward off a spirited challenge from Arun George and Rian Agung Saputro to keep their team in the hunt.

In the decider with scores 13-all, Saputro, who was just brilliant right through, faltered with a service error and then messed up a simple net point to hand over the match and a 2-1 overall lead to his opponents on the night. For Raptors, world No. 2 Tai Tzu Ying remained unbeaten in this edition with another dominant display to outsmart world No. 10 Michelle Li. This made the tie's score two-all.

Bengaluru Raptors wins Premier Badminton League

Bengaluru Raptors beat Mumbai Rockets 4-3 in the final of the Premier Badminton League (PBL) in Bengaluru to win their maiden title. Kidambi Srikanth, Vu Ji Trang and men’s doubles pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Satiawan won their matches for Bengaluru Raptors.

Sameer Verma of Mumbai Rockets had fought back in the men's singles tie against B Sai Praneeth to put his team in the hunt but the men's doubles pair of Bengaluru Raptors proved too good for their opponents in the end. Kim Gi Jung and Pia Zebadiah of Mumbai Rockets started the contest by winning the Trump match against Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith of Bengaluru Raptors 15-8 15-14 in the mixed doubles. The victory put Mumbai Rockets 2-0 up after the first tie.

But Kidambi Srikanth had other plans as he thrashed Anders Antonsen of Mumbai Rockets 15-7 15-10 in the men's singles to keep Bengaluru alive. Vu Ji Trang then won her women's singles tie against Shriyanshi Pardeshi in straight games. It was a Trump game for Bengaluru and the victory put them 3-2 ahead in the contest.

However, Sameer Verma registered a come-from-behind victory over B Sai Praneeth to put Mumbai on level terms and send the match into the decider. Bengaluru's men's doubles pair then beat Kim Gi Jung and Lee Yong Dae of Mumbai Rockets 15-13 15-10 in the winners-take-all contest to seal the victory. Bengaluru have become the fifth team after Chennai Smashers, Delhi Dashers, Hyderabad Hotshots and Hyderabad Hunters to win the title.