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Puneri Paltans earned the local bragging rights as they defeated U Mumba in a Maharashtra derby in Match 52 of the Pro Kabaddi League (KBL) by 42-23. An off day for Mumba was well exploited by Paltans as their captain Nitin Tomar produced an all-rounder performance. In the earlier encounter, defending champions Bengal Warriors win by 37-28 in a close contest which saw them end their two-match losing run against Tamil Thalaivas.
First win in three games
Defending champions Bengal Warriors registered their first win in three games as they overcame fourth place Tamil Thalaivas with a score of 37-28. Two all-outs on both side of the first half saw the champions make light work of the Thalaivas with a halftime lead of four points, as the scoreboard read 20-16. Raider Maninder Singh picked 12 points in 19 raids to inflict first all-out of the match for the Thalaivas. This included eight touch points and four bonus points.
The Thalaivas did try to make a comeback into the contest by going on attack with Manjeet (8) and Bhavani Rajput (5). Courtesy of Manjeet and Rajput, Thalaivas picked more raid points (7) in the second half than the Warriors (5). However, it was the Warriors defense that proved to be the difference maker as Amit Narwal (5), Ran Singh (4) and Mohammad Nabibaksh (2) ensured that the champions consolidated on their half time lead and win the match by 37-28.
Puneri Paltans earn local bragging rights
In an all Maharashtra affair, it was the team from Pune who came out on top with the scoreline of 42-23. Tomar was the standout performer on the night for the Paltans as he smashed a total of nine points, four of which came in successful tackles. The Paltans went with a halftime lead of eight as they led the game by 18-10. Aslam Inamdar earned seven points on the night to support his team.
The second half brought more misery for Mumba as they were steering down the barrel to yet another 20-point defeat. They missed the services of V Ajith, who was missing from the squad, while star player Fazal Atrachali only managed one point in the entire evening. Abhishek Singh's poor conversion rate of four points from 11 raids also proved costly for them as they lost 42-23. The Paltans now sit third from bottom with 21 points in nine encounters while U Mumba occupy fifth spot, but have won only one of their last five.
The earlier win sees Bengal Warriors go on 22 points in nine matches while opponents Tamil Thalaivas remain on 27 points at fourth. On Friday (January 14), two former champions, Jaipur Pink Panthers and Patna Pirates, will go head-to-head in the first encounter of the night whereas Gujarat Giants will lock horns with high-flying Bengaluru Bulls in the second encounter.
