Archery Premier League: Mighty Marathas, Kakatiya Knights Seal Top-Two Finish as Playoff Race Heats Up

Hyderabad, October 16: Mighty Marathas and Kakatiya Knights secured the top two positions in the league stage of Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2 after registering convincing victories on Friday. The Marathas defeated Chero Archers 6-0, while the Knights overcame Prithviraaj Yodhas 6-2 to confirm their places in the playoffs.

Both teams now have 12 points, an unassailable tally that guarantees them a top-two finish and a place in the first playoff match on Sunday. The winner of that contest will advance directly to the grand final, while the losing team will get another opportunity to qualify.

Kakatiya Knights Edge Prithviraaj Yodhas in Thriller

Playing in front of their home crowd in Hyderabad, Kakatiya Knights produced one of the standout performances of the season to defeat last year's finalists, Prithviraaj Yodhas.

The Knights took the opening set 77-74 before the second set ended in a 76-76 tie. Both teams again shared the points in the third set after finishing 77-77, with Matias Grande and Neeraj Chauhan hitting the X-ring with their final arrows under pressure.

The Knights sealed the contest in the fourth set with a score of 79-75. Chauhan's performance earned him the day's best archer award in the men's recurve category.

Mighty Marathas Sweep Chero Archers

Mighty Marathas returned to winning ways with a dominant 6-0 victory over Chero Archers. Dhiraj Bommadevara returned to the lineup, while Alejandra Valencia and Aman Saini delivered strong performances to help the team complete a clean sweep.

Despite compound world No. 1 Mathias Fullerton shooting a perfect 60 for Chero, his team's inconsistency proved costly.

Playoff Race Goes Down to the Wire

The battle for the remaining two playoff spots remains wide open, with Rajputana Royals, Chero Archers and Prithviraaj Yodhas all tied on eight points.

Earlier, Chola Chiefs defeated defending champions Rajputana Royals 5-3 to complicate their qualification hopes. Alejandra Usquiano starred for the Chiefs, scoring 79 out of 80.

Saturday's fixtures will determine the final playoff standings, with the league phase concluding before Eliminator 1. The Archery Premier League Season 2 will culminate with the grand final on October 18 at People's Plaza, Hyderabad.