Puneri Paltan booked their place in the final of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 12 after scripting a magnificent comeback to register a 50-45 victory against Telugu Titans at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday.
This will be the third final in four years for the Season 10 champions, where they will face Dabang Delhi K.C. on Friday. It was a high-octane clash dominated by the raiders, with Aditya Shinde (21 points) and Pankaj Mohite (10 points) registering their Super 10s.
Meanwhile, Bharat Hooda (22 points) and Vijay Malik (10 points) also scored Super 10s that went down in vain for the Titans. Aslam Inamdar got the ball rolling in this contest, scoring the first raid point for his side before Bharat Hooda did the same for Telugu Titans.
The Titans soon stamped their authority on the game with tackles from Ankit and Chetan Sahu. With only three players on the mat for the Paltan, Bharat Hooda’s immaculate Super Raid helped his side inflict the first All Out of the game, giving them a 10-1 lead.
Despite the early pressure, Puneri Paltan didn’t waste any time fighting back, with Pankaj Mohite scoring a couple of raids and Mohd Amaan registering a tackle. Ankit’s Super Tackle ensured that Telugu Titans remained ahead by six points, keeping them in a 13-7 lead after the first ten minutes, despite raids from Aslam and Aditya Shinde.
The intensity of this must-win clash went up a notch with the raids flying in from both sides. Pankaj carried on his fine momentum for the Paltan, enabling them to get their first All Out to cut the deficit down to four points.
Bharat Hooda completed his Super 10 for the Titans, scoring 14 points in the first half. Meanwhile, Pankaj and Aditya combined for 13 points between them, keeping their team within striking distance with the score at 24-20 at halftime.
Puneri Paltan began the second half in an ideal manner, inflicting a second All Out on their opponents, courtesy a tackle from Gaurav Khatri. Despite that, they trailed by two points with the duo of Bharat and Vijay ensuring that the Titans kept their noses in front.
Bharat and Aditya exchanged Do-Or-Die Raids, with neither side giving away an inch. However, the season 10 champions managed to get back on level terms with Aditya Shinde and Pankaj Mohite completing their Super 10s.
Heading into the final quarter of the game, there was all to play for with the two teams tied at 33-33. The Titans moved back in the lead with a Super Tackle from Shankar Gadai, while Aditya kept the Paltan in the game with his raids.
After having a sedate night, his captain, Aslam Inamdar, stepped up with a crucial tackle to execute a third All Out on the Titans. Albeit a one-point lead, that was Puneri Paltan’s first lead of the night, and it put them in the driver’s seat with five minutes to go in the contest.
The game-defining moment came from Aditya Shinde, as he delivered a sensational four-point Super Raid to put the Paltan in complete control. The season 10 champions followed that with another All Out, taking a seven-point lead with less than two minutes to go.
With the clock running down, the Paltan took their time and completed a spectacular nine-point comeback to secure a 50-45 win and booked their place in the final.