Gujarat Fortunuegiants saw off a spirited fight from defending champions Patna Pirates to secure a 37-29 win in an Inter-Zone Wildcard Pro-Kabaddi League fixture here on Wednesday.
The loss meant the holders were on the brink of elimination, giving a lifeline to UP Yoddha, who will face Bengal Warriors Thursday to decide the third team from Zone B.
Gujarat's defence proved to be the difference as they prevailed over Patna's star-studded attacking lineup featuring the season six's leading raider Pradip Narwal.
Captain Sunil Kumar, with five tackle points, was Gujarat's mainstay in the defence as he got a fine support from Iran's Asian Games Gold medallist Hadi Oshtorak.
Leading by a slender three-point margin with three minutes left on the clock, the duo effected a super tackle to pin down Narwal to give them a decisive 32-28 point advantage.
Narwal finished with 10 raid points but it was not enough with the Fortunegiants putting up a fine show in defence with their captain leading the way.
Gujarat scored some crucial raids through Ajay Kumar (8) and Rohit Gulia (10) to extend their lead by three points with less than 10 minutes.
Season six's leading raider Narwal spearheaded Patna's attack as he made early inroads to give the defending champions a 6-2 lead.
But the Fortunegiants, who are the most consistent team of the season, ensured that they kept Patna's lead in check with Gulia leading their attack.