Telugu Titans vs Jaipur Pink Panthers: Telugu Titans claimed their first match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12, 37-32, against Jaipur Pink Panthers in a thrilling game at Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag on Thursday with good performances from Vijay Malik and Bharat Hooda, who each had 8 points, and Ajit Pawar, who had a High Five that was important to the Titans’ overall team performance.
While Nitin Kumar Dhankar’s impeccable 13-point contribution for Jaipur Pink Panthers was all for naught, the Titans were resilient in crucial moments to claim a much-needed victory.
Telugu Titans vs Jaipur Pink Panthers: First Half Highlights
The first 10 minutes of the match were a tussle with both teams getting say in it. The Telugu Titans came out just in the lead 7-5 from strong defensive holds that left the raiders of the Pink Panthers little to no room to attack. Bharat Hooda came through with multi-point raids, taking out key defenders like Ronak Singh and Sahil Satpal, and gave some momentum to the Telugu side.
Even with Nitin Rawal’s Super Tackle that revived hope for Jaipur it was too little too late and could not stop the Titans. The Telugu Titans executed a huge game shifting All Out by the time of the 13th minute after the unsuccessful raid of Reza Mirbagheri and the quick counter by Ajit Pawar and the defense line.
The Titans dominated again as Vijay Malik and Chetan Sahu contributed vital points. At halftime, the score was 16-9 in the Titans’ favour, and the Pink Panthers needed a second-half comeback.
Second-Half Surge: Jaipur Fightback, Titans Respond
Post-interval, Jaipur Pink Panthers staged a turnaround, which was spearheaded by the indefatigable Nitin Kumar, who made several raids to bring the deficit down. His raids eliminated Chetan Sahu and Avi Duhan, and Reza Mirbagheri rallied on defense to eliminate Vijay Malik and Bharat.
But Ajit Pawar once again turned the tables with a Super Tackle on Ali Samadi, breaking Jaipur’s run. The Titans took their lead further with another Do-Or-Die raid by Chetan Sahu, keeping the Pink Panthers on the back foot. At the 30-minute mark, the Titans had a 23-16 lead, not letting go of their lead even as Jaipur kept coming back hard.
Fourth Quarter Thriller: Super Raids Galore
The last stage of this Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Telugu Titans contest witnessed a lot of hustle. Nitin Kumar began with a Super Raid, eliminating Telugu to leave them with a single player. But Bharat Hooda replied with a Super Raid, which saw him eliminate Sahil Satpal and Reza Mirbagheri and earn a bonus point.
The Pink Panthers then dealt an All Out to the Titans with a minute left, following Nitin Kumar and Nitin Rawal’s removal of critical players such as Amir Ejlali and Vijay Malik.
Nitin concluded his fierce competition with a Super 10, taking down Ankit and Avi Duhan and cutting Jaipur down to three points to stage a comeback. Vijay Malik, however, ended the game with a Super Raid to secure Titans 37-32 victory their first win against the Jaipur Pink Panthers in seven games.
Match Stats: Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Telugu Titans
Final Score: Telugu Titans 37 – 32 Jaipur Pink Panthers
Top Performers:
Vijay Malik (Telugu Titans) – 8 Points
Bharat Hooda (Telugu Titans) – 8 Points
Ajit Pawar (Telugu Titans) – High Five
Nitin Kumar (Jaipur Pink Panthers) – 13 Points
Pro Kabaddi League Schedule – Friday, September 5
Match 1: U Mumba vs Bengaluru Bulls
Match 2: Haryana Steelers vs UP Yoddhas
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