It was a battle of nerves, confidence and belief and in the end, Mumbai Khiladis came on top to end 2023 with a hard-fought 31-30 triumph over Rajasthan Warriors on Saturday.

Despite the victory, there wouldn’t be a change in the positions of Rajasthan Warriors and Mumbai Khiladis on the UKK Season 2 points table. The Khiladis sit fifth with five points from five games, while the Warriors still occupy the last spot without a point this term.

Mumbai Khiladis, as done all so far in Ultimate Kho Kho Season 2, administered an early lead. With 12 attack points on the board, the Khiladis showed impressive attacking skills while letting the Rajasthan Warriors score a Dream Run. Turn 1 would end with a score of 12-1 in Mumbai’s favour.

Turn 2 saw the scores go almost even, as two Dream Runs from Mumbai Khiladis and 12 attack points from a spirited Rajasthan Warriors took the score to 14-13 in Khiladis favour at half-time.

Barring a Dream Run from Nilesh Patil, the Rajasthan Warriors seemed on the back foot as the Mumbai Khiladis raced to maximise their lead to 28-14. It was all thanks to Sreejesh S, who executed some impressive attack points, including a Pole Dive with a minute left in Turn 3.

Turn 4 turned out to be an exhibition of talent for the ages. While it seemed that the Rajasthan Warriors would seal a hard-fought draw against the Mumbai Khiladis, the latter would pull off a heist. Three Dream Runs, including one in the game’s final seconds, ensured the Khiladis would see off a 31-30 victory and end 2023 with their first win of Ultimate Kho Kho 2023 in the kitty.

While Rajasthan Warriors face Telugu Yoddhas in their first fixture of 2024, the Mumbai Khiladis will test their might against the mighty Gujarat Giants on January 2.

Match Awards

Attacker of the Match: Nilesh Patil

Defender of the Match: Sushant Hajare

Ultimate Kho of the Match: Sreejesh S