Vijayawada, Aug 20 Day 5 of the Yuva Andhra Championship 2025, a feeder into the Telugu Kabaddi League, produced a mix of thrillers and dominant performances at the Chennupati Ramakotaiah Municipal Corporation Indoor Stadium.
Kurnool Knights (twice), Amravati Crushers, Vizag Commandos, and Bhimavaram Guardians emerged as winners to reshape the standings, with Kurnool reclaiming top spot in Pool A and Amravati extending their unbeaten run in Pool B.
The day began with a nail-biter as Kurnool Knights edged Bhimavaram Guardians 46-45. The Knights appeared to be cruising towards a comfortable win, but the Guardians mounted a strong comeback in the final stages to close the gap to just one point.
V Durga Prasanth led Kurnool with 13 points, while Kunchala Srikanth contributed in both departments with 7 points. For the Guardians, Abilash Reddy scored 19 raid points and substitute RH Rahul added 6 tackle points, but the effort fell just short.
Momentum shifted to Pool B in the second game, where Amravati Crushers once again underlined their dominance with a high-scoring 61-54 win over Tirupati Raiders. Potla Gopi Chand led the attack with 16 raid and 2 tackle points, while Kolamgari Rambabu added 12 raid points and Ankalu Jampana secured a High 5.
For Tirupati, R Sai Sankar put in a remarkable solo performance with 20 raid and 3 tackle points, but the Raiders could not match Amravati’s all-round strength.
The third game saw Vizag Commandos defeat Krishna Defenders 49-36. Nolli Theja and Durga Prasad both recorded Super 10s, while Rayi Narendra anchored the defense with 7 tackle points.
Krishna’s resistance came through G Lakshma Reddy, who scored 17 raid points, but once again the lack of support around him proved costly.
The fourth match brought relief for Bhimavaram Guardians, who bounced back from their opening defeat of the day to beat Kakinada Kraken 35-32 in a close contest. Abilash Reddy contributed 11 raid and 1 tackle point, while Venkata Durga Rao added 8 raid and 2 tackle points. For Kraken, Varri Mahesh scored 10 raid and 1 tackle point, but it was not enough to prevent another loss.
The day ended with a top-of-the-table clash in Pool A, where Kurnool Knights overpowered Vizianagaram Ninjas 42-26 to reclaim first place. Pelleti Brahmareddy dominated in raids with 15 points, supported well by his teammates. For the Ninjas, Chekka Nagababu scored 12 raid points, but without contributions from others, they fell behind in the second half.
With these results, Pool A standings shifted once again. Kurnool Knights returned to the top with 24 points after six matches, narrowly ahead of Vizianagaram Ninjas on 23. Bhimavaram Guardians improved to 16 points, while Kakinada Kraken remained at the bottom with 9. In Pool B, Amravati Crushers continued their unbeaten run, leading with 29 points from five straight wins. Vizag Commandos followed with 18, Tirupati Raiders stayed on 8, and Krishna Defenders trailed with 5.
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