Kakatiya Knights Stage Stunning Comeback as APL Season 2 Begins in Hyderabad

Kakatiya Knights produced the most dramatic result of the opening night of Archery Premier League Season 2, recovering from a 0-4 deficit to defeat Mighty Marathas in a thrilling hit-or-miss shoot-off at People’s Plaza in Hyderabad on Wednesday. 

Defending champions Rajputana Royals and Chero Archers also began their campaigns with victories, defeating Prithviraaj Yodhas and Chola Chiefs respectively by 5-3 margins.

The Knights’ comeback headlined an entertaining first day of competition, with three matches showcasing the league’s combination of elite international talent, Indian archery stars and its high-pressure team format.

Mighty Marathas appeared firmly in control after winning the opening two sets against Kakatiya Knights, establishing a 4-0 advantage. However, the match changed dramatically as the Knights mounted their comeback, winning the next two sets to force a shoot-off. The decisive moment belonged to Nico Wiener and Neeraj Chauhan. Both Knights archers hit the inner X-ring in the hit-or-miss shoot-out, securing a 2-0 victory in the tie-breaker after the match had finished level at 4-4.

Marathas’ decision to substitute Dhiraj Bommadevara after the opening two sets proved particularly costly. The Archery World Cup Final champion had been in outstanding form, registering three 10s and a 9 with his four arrows. However, replacement Mrinal Chauhan struggled as the Knights found their rhythm and steadily turned the contest around.

The contrast between the two halves of the match was striking. Marathas had built a commanding lead with Bommadevara contributing consistently, but the Knights capitalised on their opponents’ dip in performance to force a shoot-off and complete a memorable turnaround. Despite the defeat, Bommadevara was named the best recurve archer of the day. Wiener earned the award for best male compound archer after playing a decisive role in the Knights’ comeback.

Rajputana Royals begin title defence with victory

Defending champions Rajputana Royals opened the evening by defeating Prithviraaj Yodhas 5-3 in a repeat of the previous season’s final. The Royals’ victory was built on the strong performances of compound archers Ojas Deotale and Ella Gibson, with Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz providing crucial support in recurve. India’s Ankita Bhakat also contributed to the Royals’ winning effort.

The defending champions took the opening set 73-69 after a difficult start for the Yodhas. Mexico’s Mathias Grande opened with a 7, putting his team on the back foot as Deotale and Gibson established the Royals’ early advantage.

The Yodhas responded in the second set. Led by Abhishek Verma, they produced a stronger performance, with Grande hitting a 10 on his final arrow under pressure. Gazoz also faced a demanding final shot, and his 9 meant the teams initially appeared set to share the set. A subsequent arrow correction, however, swung the set points in the Yodhas’ favour, bringing the match level at 2-2.

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The third set delivered some of the evening’s highest-quality shooting. Deotale and Verma opened with X-ring 10s, followed by 10s from Gibson and Andrea Becerra, who had replaced Raj Kaur in the Yodhas’ lineup. The teams finished locked at 77-77, leaving the match finely balanced.

Royals then raised their level in the fourth set, opening with three 10s to establish a strong position. Sixteen-year-old Gatha Anandrao Khadake struck a crucial 10 with her final arrow to keep the Yodhas in contention. Gazoz responded with an X-ring 10, but Grande could manage only an 8, allowing the defending champions to close out the match.

Bhakat was named the best female recurve archer of the day, underlining the depth of the Royals’ winning performance.

Chero Archers completed the day’s winners with a 5-3 victory over Chola Chiefs in the final match. Chero took the opening set, but Chola responded to level the contest at 2-2. The Chiefs secured the second set 71-70 despite final-arrow 7s from their star recurve archers Marcus D’Almeida and Atanu Das.

The decisive phase came in the third set, when Chero produced an outstanding 79 out of 80. Their compound archers delivered a near-flawless sequence, leaving the Chiefs with little room to respond and giving Chero a 4-2 lead. Chola needed a strong finish in the fourth set but struggled to apply early pressure, with Chikitha Taniparthi and Rajat Chauhan dropping 9s. Chero’s compound archers again provided an excellent start. Casey Kaufhold’s 7 with the penultimate arrow briefly complicated the finish, but the Archers held on to secure the win.

Andrea Becerra was named the best female compound archer of the evening.

Day 2 promises another round of close contests

The second season of the Archery Premier League runs from October 8 to 18 at People’s Plaza on Hyderabad’s Necklace Road. Initiated by the Archery Association of India, the world’s first franchise-based archery league features six teams and 48 archers, including 36 Indians and 12 international competitors.

Friday’s schedule features the Kakatiya Knights against Chola Chiefs, followed by Rajputana Royals taking on Chero Archers. Mighty Marathas will then look to recover from their opening-night disappointment when they face Prithviraaj Yodhas.

With the defending champions already on the board and the Knights demonstrating their ability to recover under pressure, Season 2 has begun with a reminder that early leads offer no guarantee of victory in this format.