Puneri Paltan put in a dominant display to register a comprehensive 40-22 win against U Mumba in the Maharashtra Derby at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday.
It was a defensive clinic from the Season 10 Champions, recording 20 tackle points (including six Super Tackles) as they solidified their hold at the top of the table. Gurdeep led the way with a High Five, while Gaurav Khatri and Abinesh Nadarajan registered four tackles each. Stuwart Singh contributed on the raiding end with eight points.
Puneri Paltan’s defence set the tone with Abinesh Nadarajan and Gurdeep registering tackles, before Sachin Tanwar and Pankaj Mohite registered raids to give their side an early four-point lead. For U Mumba, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh opened the scoring on both ends of the floor, making it a two-point game.
Gaurav Khatri for the Paltan and Sunil Kumar for U Mumba got their first points on the board as the defences continued to stay on top in this tense and aggressive encounter. Anil got off the mark on a Do-Or-Die raid, but Aslam Inamdar couldn’t do the same, which meant that the two teams were tied at 5-5 at the end of the first quarter.
Puneri Paltan found some momentum and managed to bag four-point lead, but it didn’t stay that way for too long. Amirmohammad Zafardanesh cut the deficit down to one point with a two-point raid. The topsy turvy nature of the game continued as Rakesh Rajesh completed a Super Tackle to retain Puneri Paltan’s four-point lead. In an intense tactical battle that saw Do-Or-Die Raids flying in, the PKL 10 Champions ended the first half in the lead with the score at 15-10.
With a Super Tackle from Vishal Bhardwaj early in the second half, Puneri Paltan extended their lead to seven points. That was followed up with another Super Tackle from Abinesh Nadarajan, ensuring that his side stay in the driver’s seat in this Maharashtra Derby.
There was no respite for U Mumba as the their opponents continued to dictate the tempo of the game. It proved to be difficult for them to score points on the offensive end because the Puneri Paltan were delivering a defensive masterclass, holding onto a comfortable lead with the score at 23-15 heading into the final quarter.
Rinku kept the scoreboard ticking for U Mumba with four tackles, and Sandeep Kumar also chipped in to keep it at a seven-point game. Aslam Inamdar got his first point of the game with a bonus and followed it up with a Super Tackle to solidify his team’s position with a ten-point lead.
Gurdeep registered his High Five and Gaurav Khatri followed it up with another brilliant tackle to inflict an ALL OUT on U Mumba. Super-sub Stuwart Singh added the finishing touches with a Super Raid, ending as the highest scorer for his side and completing the rout to lead Puneri Paltan to a 40-22 triumph.
Bengal Warriorz defenders try to tackle Jaipur Pink Panthers raider on Thursday. |
Nitin Kumar, Ali Samadi lead raiding department as Jaipur Pink Panthers defeat Bengal Warriorz, move to fourth on points table
In an engaging encounter at the SMS Indoor Stadium, Jaipur Pink Panthers registered a 45-41 victory against the Bengal Warriorz on Thursday. Nitin Kumar and Ali Samadi recorded Super 10s for the hosts to help them climb to fourth place on the points table.
Meanwhile, Devank Dalal notched his seventh straight Super 10 alongside Manprit Pardeep, while Ashish Malik also registered a High Five, but that wasn’t enough for the Season 7 champions to get over the line.
Devank secured the first raid of the game, reaching a milestone by becoming the fastest raider to 400 raid points, achieving the feat in just 38 games. Nitin Kumar opened Jaipur Pink Panthers’ account, but it was the Warriorz captain who was on a roll, giving his team a three-point lead in the early exchanges.
However, the hosts responded quickly with Aashish Kumar’s Super Tackle on Devank, followed by a swift raid from Nitin Kumar to level the score at 6-6. A two-point raid from Ali Samadi then helped the Jaipur Pink Panthers open up a four-point lead, ending a high-octane first quarter at 12-8.
The Pink Panthers slowly began to assert their dominance, inflicting an ALL OUT to extend their lead to six points. Nitin Kumar completed his sixth Super 10 of the season, while Aashish Kumar added four tackles in the first half, giving the two-time champions a convincing 24-18 lead at halftime.
With the Warriorz having only one player on the mat to begin the second half, the hosts inflicted another ALL OUT courtesy a tackle from Aryan Kumar, further extending their lead to nine points. Ali Samadi continued to make his presence felt on the offensive end as well, keeping a seven-point lead intact despite Bengal Warriorz finding some momentum.
Manprit Pardeep and Devank momentarily cut the deficit down to six points before a Super Tackle from Nitin Rawal ensured Jaipur Pink Panthers do not get complacent. Ashish Malik contributed in defence for the Warriorz, tackling Nitin Kumar on a Do-Or-Die raid to keep his side within striking distance with under ten minutes to go.
Bengal Warriorz found a glimmer of hope as Devank Dalal completed another Super 10 and Ashish Malik recorded a High Five to inflict an ALL OUT on the Jaipur Pink Panthers, making it a three-point game with under five minutes to play.
With the game on the line, the Iranian duo for Jaipur Pink Panthers shut the door on any possibility of a comeback. First, Reza Mirbagheri tackled Devank, and then Ali Samadi followed it up with a sensational four-point Super Raid, also completing his maiden Super 10 in the process. That in the end proved to be the difference between the two sides in this high-scoring thriller as Jaipur Pink Panthers clinched a 45-41 victory.
