Mighty Marathas Stun Chero Archers In Shootoff Thriller At Archery Premier League

Hyderabad, Oct 12: Mighty Marathas staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Chero Archers in a thrilling shootoff at the Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2 in Hyderabad on Monday, extending their winning streak to three matches.

After the teams were locked at 4-4 at the end of regulation time, Aman Saini and Dhiraj Bommadevara delivered crucial hits in the league's signature hit-or-miss shootoff to help the Marathas clinch a 2-1 victory in the tiebreaker.

Chero Archers, meanwhile, suffered their second shootoff defeat of the season. Compound world No. 1 Mathias Fullerton registered a hit for Chero, but the team's other three archers missed the target, allowing the Marathas to seal the contest.

Chero had made a strong start, winning the opening set 2-0 after Yashdeep Bhoge, who replaced the in-form Atanu Das, produced two impressive arrows. However, the second and third sets were shared between the two sides in a high-quality contest.

The third set featured a crucial moment when Asian Games double gold medallist Kumkum Mohod struck a perfect 10 to level the scores. The fourth set proved equally tense, with both Bommadevara and Mohod hitting 10s. Saini's arrow was initially scored as a nine but was upgraded to 10 after a review, handing the Marathas the set points and forcing a shoot-off.

Saini finished the match with a perfect score of 60 out of 60 in regulation time before delivering another decisive hit in the tiebreaker.

"It's easy for me," Saini joked when asked about his impressive performance. "There is a process behind all this, a lot of hard work. It gives a lot of joy when the results pay off for the team."

The victory marked a significant turnaround for the Marathas, who began their campaign with two defeats. They have now registered three consecutive wins and moved level with Chero on six points.

The second half of the league phase begins on Tuesday, with defending champions Rajputana Royals facing Chero Archers in the opening match. Prithviraaj Yodhas will then take on Mighty Marathas, before Kakatiya Knights meet Chola Chiefs in the Southern Derby.

The second season of the franchise-based league, organised by the Archery Association of India, features six teams and 48 archers, including 36 Indians and 12 international stars. The tournament is being held at People's Plaza in Hyderabad and will conclude on October 18, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals and the final.