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The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has reached its business end as points matter. Defending champions Bengal Warriors and Telugu Titans played an out an edge-of-the-seat encounter which ended in a share of the spoils. Despite going into the final five minutes with a lead, Titans had to dig deep to earn the points in a 32-32 tie. The earlier contest was also a close affair, but former champions Jaipur Pink Panthers prevailed to win 36-31 to go fifth in the PKL standings.
Thriller ends in stalemate
The match 101 in the PKL season 8 was nothing short of a drama as Telugu Titans surrendered a vital lead to Bengal Warriors in the final five minutes, but regained composure in a last-ditch effort to earn a tie. They even suffered an all-out in the dying moments but somehow found a way to crawl back. Maninder Singh was the top raider in the match with 11 points as he lead from the front. It was the raider's 12th 'Super 10' of the campaign, only Pawan Sehrawat of Bengaluru Bulls with 14 has more 'Super 10'.
After an almost even first half where the Warriors led by 14-12, it was the turn of the Titans to find a way back. Ankit Beniwal (9) and Rajnish (7) were the architects of the comeback. They led 27-25 with less than five minutes to go but were trailing by four points in no time. However, some inspired defending and raids made sure the match ended all square at 32-32.
Deepak Hooda inspires Jaipur to an empathic win
An inspired performance from star raider Deepak Hooda saw Jaipur Pink Panthers get the better of ninth-placed Gujarat Giants. Hooda amassed a total of 11 raid points in the match as he secured his fourth 'Super 10' of the campaign. His exploits saw the Panthers lead by six points at the break with a scoreline of 20-14 against the Giants. They also inflicted an all out on the Gujarat-based franchise.
Although the second half saw a revival for the Giants, they couldn't find a way back. Rakesh Narwal (8), Ajay Kumar (6) and Pardeep Kumar (6) all went in search of points and were successful in narrowing the lead, but ultimately ended as second best. Arjun Deshwal, on the other side, was a silent feature on the mat as he ended with seven points, considerably low to his usual standards. Ultimately the Panthers consolidated on their halftime lead and won by 36-31 to move fifth in the table.
Tuesday (February 8) will see eighth place Tamil Thalaivas take on fourth place Haryana Steelers. A win for Haryana will see them move significantly closer to the summit of the table while Thalaivas would be hoping to keep their slightest of the hopes alive in the PKL season. The late encounter will see U Mumba take on three-time former champions Patna Pirates, who will try to solidify their position at the peak of PKL standings.
