The Puneri Paltan put in a memorable performance in what was a very closely contested game against the Gujarat Giants. The defending champions clinched the win in the final seconds of the game with the scoreline reading 34-33, on Friday, at the Noida Indoor Stadium, in PKL Season 11. Captain Akash Shinde starred for the Puneri Paltan with 12 points, while the likes of Dadaso Pujari (4 points) and Aryavardhan Navale (2 points) made significant contributions to the win. For the Gujarat Giants, Guman Singh top scored with 16 points.
Narrow win for Puneri Paltan
Guman Singh kicked things off for the Gujarat Giants with a massive 4-point raid and they were away against the Puneri Paltan. The defending champions were under pressure in the early exchanges but Akash Shinde was helping the Puneri Paltan fight back.
As the half moved towards the ten-minute mark, the Puneri Paltan had drawn level with Akash Shinde leading the charge. Meanwhile, it was Guman Singh who was leading the way for the Gujarat Giants. In the 12th minute, Guman Singh completed his Super 10, and once again the Gujarat Giants had pulled away with significant lead. On the 15th minute, Parteek Dahiya almost made it a 7-point lead for the Gujarat Giants, but went out of bounds. After that, the Puneri Paltan, who had Akash Shinde and Mohit Goyat doing most of the heavy lifting, fought back as both teams went into the half-time break with the scores locked at 16-16.
The second half started with the Puneri Paltan picked up an ALL OUT on the Gujarat Giants, and the lead with the very first play. Parteek Dahiya got the first points for Gujarat Giants, who were looking to mount a comeback. The Puneri Paltan had the momentum but Guman Singh and co were not throwing in the towel.
Close to the half hour mark, Akash Shinde completed his Super 10 as the Puneri Paltan had their noses out in front. With ten minutes left in the game, the Gujarat Giants inflicted an ALL OUT on the Puneri Paltan and were back in the lead.
Gunman Guman Singh was helping the Gujarat Giants extend their lead, and then Rohit tackled Akash Shinde, to put more pressure on the defending champions. In the final minutes, the contest heated up yet again, as the Puneri Paltan bounced back. Aryavardhan Navale picked up a couple of important points as the teams went into the final two minutes with the Gujarat Giants on a 1-point lead.
V Aijith levelled it up for the Puneri Paltan and then the defence stopped Guman Singh’s raid on the final play of the game. And the Puneri Paltan picked up a dramatic win in the final seconds of the game.
Haryana Steelers' all-rounder display outclasses Tamil Thalaivas
Meanwhile, in other match, Haryana Steelers showcased their championship pedigree with a commanding 42-30 victory over the Tamil Thalaivas at the Noida Indoor Stadium. The Steelers' clinical performance demonstrated why they currently top the league table, led by standout players Shivam Patare and Vinay, as they left the Thalaivas struggling to keep pace throughout the match.
The Haryana Steelers led the charge from the get-go as Shivam Patare and Vinay put early pressure on the Tamil Thalaivas. In their defence, Rahul Sethpal and Naveen were on top of things, as they displayed remarkable composure and sharpness to keep the Tamil Thalaivas’ raiders Sachin Tanwar and Moein Shafagi quiet throughout the first half.
As the first half went on, Shivam Patare and Vinay contributed steadily with raids, coupled with Shadloui's imposing presence as the Tamil Thalaivas failed to reach the same level. Struggling to find their rhythm, the Tamil Thalaivas majorly relied on Nitesh Kumar's defensive brilliance. His three tackle points eclipsed Sachin's poor performance, as he registered zero points in seven raids, with the score reading 13-10 at the end of the first half.
Despite closing the gap in the first half, the Tamil Thalaivas were unable to maintain the momentum as the Haryana Steelers slowly and steadily took the advantage. Sachin Tanwar was tackled by Vinay in a Do-Or-Die raid, while Shivam Patare continued his form to complete 200 Raid Points in the PKL. This was followed by a Super Raid that saw Vinay join the 100-point club in PKL season 11, and soon after, Rahul Sethpal’s tackle inflicted the first ALL OUT of the match on the Tamil Thalaivas.
After the ALL OUT, the Tamil Thalaivas failed to bounce back. Rahul Sethpal completed a well-earned High 5, as the Haryana Steelers take a lead that was eventually unassailable. In what was an all-round performance by the table-toppers, Vinay finished with nine points, while Naveen and Shivam Patare bagged five and six points respectively. For the Tamil Thalaivas, Moein Shafagi’s Super 10 went in vain as their team suffered a 12-point loss.
