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A day after losing to Hyderabad Hunters, North Eastern Warriors bounced back to beat the Mumbai Rockets in the second tie of the double header at the Star Sports Premier Badminton League held at the GMC Balayogi Sats Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.
The Warriors were in control of the tie right from the start with Michelle Li, Lee Cheuk Yiu and the mixed doubles pair of Lee Yong Dae and Kim Ha Na each fetching a win for the team.
The result meant the former runners-up Rockets are on a four-match losing streak and are yet to open their account in the fifth edition of the PBL.
Michelle Li had stunned world champion PV Sindhu a day ago when the Warriors clashed with the Hyderabad Hunters. It wasn’t much different today as well as the former Commonwealth Games gold medallist staved off a challenge from rising talent Shriyanshi Pardeshi to win the Trump match, 15-9, 15-11.
2020 Indonesia Masters semi-finalist Lee Cheuk Yiu had previously lost both his BWF meetings to 2014 Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap with their most recent match happening at the India Open last March. But this time it was a very different version of the North Eastern Warriors shuttler who was riding high on the confidence of a good start to the new season. Yiu’s aggression and quick footwork made life difficult for the Indian who conceded the opening game 12-15.
Kashyap, however, was able to remain close on Lee’s heels at 7-8 in the second game but a barrage of scorching smashes from the Warriors ace took the game away from the Mumbai shuttler. Lee’s pace and power was too much for the Indian to handle as Lee raced away to 14-7.
Kashyap was able to make a late push briefly as he took four points in a row. The Hong Kong ace made no mistake after that as he wrapped up the match 15-12, 15-11 to seal the tie for North Eastern Warriors.
Earlier, the legendary Lee Yong Dae and Kim Ha Na displayed some steely resolve and grit to grind out a 15-7, 5-15, 15-10 win against Mumbai’s Kim Sa Rang and Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth in the mixed doubles rubber.
