Puneri Paltan solidified their hold at the top of the table with a commanding 57-33 victory against Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday. Their 57 points was also the most points scored by a team this season.
Paltan’s all-round performance was led by High Fives from Gaurav Khatri and Vaibhav Rabade. Pankaj Mohite also chipped in with nine points, while Aslam Inamdar had six points to his name. Meanwhile, Ali Samadi recorded a Super 10 for the Pink Panthers, and Vinay scored eight points, but that wasn’t enough for his side on the night.
Puneri Paltan wasted no time in asserting themselves in this contest, with Aslam and Pankaj Mohite scoring multi-point raids to give their side a 4-0 lead. Ali Samadi opened the scoring for the Pink Panthers, but they were under pressure as their opponents inflicted the first All Out four minutes into the game.
Aslam Inamdar kept the ball rolling for his side, with Abinesh Nadarajan also making his presence felt on the defensive end. As a result, the table-toppers had a ten-point lead at 14-4. However, Ali Samadi showed great resolve to help the Pink Panthers close the gap to seven points after the opening ten minutes.
The raider kept the scoreboard ticking for his side and helped them get their first All Out, cutting the deficit down to five points. Despite his best efforts and support from his defence, Jaipur Pink Panthers weren’t able to reduce the gap further. A Super Tackle from Aashish Kumar towards the end of the first half kept the score at 23-17 after twenty minutes.
Puneri Paltan began the second half like the first, putting their foot down to be in the driver’s seat. A tackle by Mohd Amaan helped them inflict the second All Out and take an eight-point lead. Gaurav Khatri and Aditya Shinde further built on that momentum, while Vaibhav Rabade also registered a couple of tackles to help his side execute another All Out, giving the Paltan a 38-24 lead.
Ali Samadi completed his Super 10 on the night, while Vinay Redhu also contributed to the Pink Panthers’ cause. However, they didn’t have enough in their ranks to close the gap and force a comeback. Abhishek Gunge came in with a Super Raid, and Gaurav Khatri completed his High Five as the Paltan amassed the fifty-point mark.
In a comprehensive display, Puneri Paltan prevailed comfortably in the end, securing a 57-33 victory to ensure they secure a top-two spot. This was also the highest points scored by a team this season, and also the biggest margin of win (24 points), further highlighting their dominance on the night.