BM Birla Cup (6 Goal Tournament)

One of the most anticipated moments of the Jaipur Polo Season arrived when 7 professional Indian teams descended on the field with their equine partners and their sole weapons, mallets. In these battles of titans, who reigned supreme and who ran out of luck? Let’s find out. 

Participating Teams 

Match 1: Kanota Polo vs Army Green 

Date: 17 September 

The tournament began with an electrifying game between Kanota Polo and Army  Green. The latter team had a 0.5-goal advantage, which almost pushed them over the finish line. Still, Kanota Polo had some other plans as they fought back hard to regain the lead in the last round and scored a couple of goals to barely stay ahead of the opposition as the final bell rang.

Winners: Kanota Polo ( 6-5.5 ) 

Match 2: Army Red vs Chandna-Krishna Polo 

The second game between Army Red and Chandna-Krishna Polo was held the same day. Despite the latter team’s advantage, Army Red managed to overcome the point advantage and went into full aggressive mode. This led to them scoring nine goals, which proved enough for the win.

Winners: Army Red ( 9-6.5 ) 

Match 3: Chandna-Krishna Polo vs Jaipur

Date: 18 September

The second day was a double header with the first game between Chandna-Krishna Polo and Jaipur. The former team started with a point advantage, which they utilised fully when it came down to the final moments of the game. Jaipur fought back hard, but on this day it was not enough to overcome their opponents, and they lost by 1.5 points.

Winners: Chandna-Krishna Polo ( 7.5-6 ) 

Match 4: Bedla Polo vs Mayfair Polo 

The second game was contested between Bedla Polo and Mayfair Polo. As the tournament progressed, so did the intensity of the matches. This game was a nail-biter, and both teams were equally favourites to win. However, fortune smiled upon Bedla Polo, and they clinched the win by just one point.

Winners: Bedla Polo ( 6-5 )

Match 5: Mayfair Polo vs Kanota Polo 

Date: 19 September 

The third day presented us with three action-packed matches. Mayfair Polo and Kanota Polo faced each other in the first one. The former team showcased their experience and teamwork as they planned on registering a dominating win over the opponents. They scored twice the number of goals, established a solid position in the tournament, and came back strong after the previous game. 

Winners: Mayfair Polo ( 6-3 )

Match 6: Bedla Polo vs Army Green 

Bedla Polo and Army Green were up next. The game was dominated by Bedla Polo, as they not only overcame the point advantage given to Army Green pretty soon but also unleashed a flurry of goals on them to establish their presence at the tournament. 

Winners: Bedla Polo ( 9-5.5 )

Match 7: Jaipur vs Army Red 

The last game of the day and the league stages were held between Jaipur and Army Red. Both teams played it safely, but Jaipur controlled the flow of the game, and Army Red played right into their hands. As a result, they scored a couple of extra goals and stayed ahead when the final bell rang.

Winners: Jaipur ( 5-3 )

Semi-Final 1: Jaipur vs Mayfair Polo 

Date: 21 September 

The wait was over, and finally, the time came for Jaipur and Mayfair Polo to face one another for one of them to secure a spot in the finals. Jaipur continued their good form and were able to once again have a command over the game. Mayfair Polo tried their best to score some goals but could not break Jaipur’s defences, which ultimately led to their defeat.

Winners: Jaipur ( 9-5 )

Semi-Final 2: Bedla Polo vs Chandna-Krishna Polo 

The second spot in the finals was decided by a play between Bedla Polo and Chandna Krishna Polo. This game was a scoring fest, and almost 20 points were registered. Both teams were in for a fight and gave blows to one another by scoring alternately each round. In the final moments, Bedla Polo pulled off a highly anticipated win by scoring a couple of goals in the last chukker.

Winners: Bedla Polo ( 11-8.5 )

Final: Jaipur vs Bedla Polo 

Date: 22 September 

The best was saved for the finals in the match between Jaipur and Bedla Polo. Initially, Bedla Polo was at the top of their game, scoring half a dozen goals by the end of the second round. Despite being a little late, Jaipur arrived at the party just in the nick of time and made up for the lost point by scoring four goals in the last two chukkers. The game eventually went into a tiebreaker, which was won by the side of Jaipur, and they were declared the crowned champions of the BM Birla Cup. 

Winners: Jaipur ( 9-8 )