Mighty Marathas beat Chero Archers in thrilling shootoff

Hyderabad: Mighty Marathas staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Chero Archers in a shootoff in the Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2 here on Monday. After the teams were tied 4-4 in regulation time, Marathas won the tiebreaker 2-1, with Aman Saini and Dhiraj Bommadevara hitting the yellow ring in the league’s signature hit-or-miss format.

Chero Archers started strongly, winning the opening set for a 2-0 lead. The second and third sets were shared, before Marathas clinched the high-scoring fourth set following a review of close arrows, forcing the match into a shootoff. World No. 1 compound archer Mathias Fullerton scored a hit for Chero, but three of his teammates missed, handing Marathas victory.

Chero have now lost twice in shootoffs this season. Meanwhile, Marathas, after opening their campaign with two defeats, have registered three consecutive wins to move level with Chero on six points. Yashdeep Bhoge, selected in place of Atanu Das, helped Chero win the opening set with two impressive arrows. In the second set, recurve stars Bommadevara and Asian Games double gold medallist Kumkum Mohod both shot 9s. Mohod produced a perfect 10 in the third set to level the scores.

The fourth set saw both Bommadevara and Mohod score 10s, while Saini’s arrow was upgraded from 9 to 10, securing the set for Marathas. Saini finished with a perfect 60 out of 60 and added a shootoff hit.

The APL, initiated by the Archery Association of India, features six teams and 48 archers, including 36 Indians and 12 international stars. The league at Hyderabad’s People’s Plaza concludes on October 18.

Tuesday’s fixtures feature Chero Archers versus defending champions Rajputana Royals, Prithviraaj Yodhas against Mighty Marathas, and the Southern Derby between Kakatiya Knights and Chola Chiefs.

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