In a thrilling showdown at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, Puneri Paltan delivered a crushing blow to the Bengal Warriors' playoff aspirations, clinching a 29-26 victory on February 14.
The Warriors, desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, faced a daunting challenge from the outset. Puneri Paltan dominated early, securing a commanding lead and executing an ‘All-Out’ within the opening minutes, leaving the Warriors reeling.
Displaying formidable prowess on both offense and defense, Puneri Paltan maintained relentless pressure, with every player contributing to the scoreline. Despite a valiant ‘Super Tackle’ by Harsh Lad on Akash Shinde, the Warriors struggled to narrow the gap. Heading into halftime, Puneri Paltan held a commanding 18-9 lead, with Maninder managing just a single point for the Warriors.
However, the tide turned dramatically in the second half as the Warriors mounted a fierce comeback. Within the first five minutes, they began to chip away at Puneri Paltan's lead, culminating in Nitin Kumar's sensational ‘Super Raid’, which dismantled Pankaj Mohite and Tushar Adhavade, and resulted in an ‘All Out’, shrinking the deficit to just four points.
In a nail-biting final quarter, the Warriors unleashed all their firepower in a bid for victory, coming perilously close to forcing an ‘All-Out’ on Puneri Paltan. Despite their determined efforts, their defense faltered at crucial moments, allowing Puneri Paltan to secure a narrow yet decisive triumph.
With this victory, Puneri Paltan solidified their position at the top of the table, while the Warriors' defeat dashed their hopes of making it to the PKL Season 10 playoffs. The Haryana Steelers now require just one win in the final leg of the season to clinch the last playoffs spot.
In an electrifying Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 encounter, Dabang Delhi orchestrated a stunning turnaround to snatch a thrilling 45-43 triumph over the Tamil Thalaivas on Wednesday, with Ashu Malik shining as the standout performer with an impressive tally of 18 raid points.
Dabang Delhi stage remarkable comeback to seal thrilling victory against Tamil Thalaivas
The Tamil Thalaivas surged ahead from the onset, executing an early 'All-Out' to establish dominance. Led by Narender, who matched Malik's 18 raid points, the Thalaivas swiftly raced to a commanding 9-2 advantage, leaving Dabang Delhi on the backfoot.
Under the leadership of Ashan Kumar, the Thalaivas extended their lead further with another ruthless 'all-out' in the 15th minute, amassing a formidable 22-9 lead by halftime, with Dabang Delhi struggling to find their rhythm.
Despite already securing a playoff berth, Dabang Delhi faced an uphill battle, with captain Ashu Malik single-handedly shouldering the scoring burden. Heading into the break, the Thalaivas maintained a comfortable 25-14 lead.
Dabang Delhi staged a spirited comeback in the second half, triggering an 'All Out' in the 24th minute to narrow the deficit to just five points at 25-20. However, Narender's sensational 'Super 10' propelled the Thalaivas to a 12-point advantage at 34-22.
Just as the odds seemed stacked against them, Meetu Sharma's clutch 'Super Raid' followed by another critical 'All-Out' breathed new life into Dabang Delhi's campaign.
With six minutes remaining, Dabang Delhi trailed by a mere five points at 33-38. A raiding masterclass from Ashu Malik then leveled the scores at 38-38, before a crucial tackle from Manu on Narender in the 39th minute secured the match-winning 'All Out' for the resilient winners.
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