Mighty Marathas Edge Chero Archers in Shootoff Thriller
Aman Saini and Dhiraj Bommadevara hit the yellow ring in the league’s signature hit-or-miss shootoff to secure the win for Marathas.
Compound world No. 1 Mathias Fullerton scored for Chero, but misses by the other three archers proved costly.
Chero started strongly, taking the opening set with the help of Yashdeep Bhoge, who was fielded in place of Atanu Das.
The second and third sets were shared between the teams before Marathas clinched the fourth set following a review of closely placed arrows.
Saini’s first arrow in the fourth set was upgraded from nine to 10, giving Marathas the set points and forcing the match into a shootoff.
He finished the contest with a perfect 60 out of 60 in regulation play before registering a successful shootoff hit.
“There is a process behind all this, a lot of hard work. It gives a lot of joy when results pay off for the team,” Saini said after the match, joking that the high-scoring performance was “easy” for him.
Marathas, who began the season with two defeats, have now won three matches in a row and moved level with Chero on six points.
Chero have lost twice in shootoffs this season.
The second half of the league phase begins on Tuesday, with Chero Archers taking on defending champions Rajputana Royals in the opening match.
Prithviraaj Yodhas will face Mighty Marathas in the second match, followed by the Southern Derby between Kakatiya Knights and Chola Chiefs.
The Archery Premier League, initiated by the Archery Association of India, features six teams and 48 archers, including 36 Indians and 12 international competitors.
The matches are being held at People’s Plaza in Hyderabad, with the tournament scheduled to conclude on October 18.
The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, followed by the title clash.
