Puneri Paltan cemented their position at the top of the table with a blistering 57-33 victory over Jaipur Pink Panthers at at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday. Their 57 points was the highest score by any team in Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12).
Puneri Paltan Registers Biggest Win Of PKL 12
Paltan showed intent right from the start, with Aslam Inamdar and Pankaj scoring multi-point raids to give their side a 4-0 lead. Ali Samadi opened the scoring for the Pink Panthers, but they were under pressure early as Paltan inflicted the first All Out four minutes into the game. High Fives from Gaurav Khatri and Vaibhav Rabade contributed to Pune’s all-round performance. .
Abinesh Nadarajan also making an impact in defence. As a result, the table-toppers raced to a ten-point lead at 14-4. However, Samadi showed great resolve to help Pink Panthers reduce the gap to seven points by the ten-minute mark.
A Super Tackle by Aashish Kumar towards the end of the first half kept the score at 23-17 after twenty minutes.
Puneri Paltan began the second half with the same intensity, taking control again. A tackle by Mohd Amaan helped them inflict the second All Out and extend the lead to eight points. Khatri and Aditya Shinde built on that momentum, and Rabade registered a couple of crucial tackles to help their side inflict yet another All Out, giving Paltan a 38-24 lead.
Samadi completed his Super 10, and Vinay Redhu also contributed for Jaipur, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback. Abhishek Gunge came in with a Super Raid, and Gaurav Khatri completed his High Five as Puneri Paltan crossed the 50-point mark.
For Jaipur, Samadi was the lone warrior and Vinay chipped in with eight points, but the team lacked collective rhythm.
Also Read: PKL 12: Which Teams Will Reach The Playoffs?
Gujarat Giants Overpowers Tamil Thalaivas 42-35 to move into the top eight
In the second encounter of the evening, Gujarat Giants delivered an incredible all-round display to beat Tamil Thalaivas 42-35. Himanshu Singh led from the front with a Super 10, while Iranian powerhouse Shadloui anchored the defence with key tackles. The Giants built early pressure, racing to a 14-6 lead after inflicting the first ALL OUT and never looked back.
Thalaivas attemptd a comeback with Arjun Deshwal (Super 10) and Moein Shafaghi’s late Super Raid, however, the Giants remained unfazed. Vaibhav and Shadloui’s late defensive efforts ensured the Giants wrapped up a vital seven-point win – one that lifted them to seventh on the table, placing them inside the playoff zone.
Paltan’s all-round performance was led by High Fives from Gaurav Khatri and Vaibhav Rabade. Pankaj Mohite also chipped in with nine points, while Aslam Inamdar contributed six. For the Pink Panthers, Ali Samadi recorded a Super 10, and Vinay scored eight points, but that wasn’t enough on the night.
