Key Points

Aditya Shinde registered a Super 10, while Pankaj Mohite and Mohit Goyat recorded 8 and 7 points respectively to ensure their team got the win. For the Pink Panthers, Ali Samadi was the star of the show, registering the best performance by an overseas player in the PKL, with a valiant 22 points on the night.

It was a fierce start to the game with both teams getting off the blocks quickly to try and get their noses in front. Pankaj Mohite opened the scoring for the Season 10 champions, while Sahil did the same for Jaipur Pink Panthers. Aditya Shinde and Ali Samadi exchanged blows in the early exchanges as the two teams couldn’t be separated.

However, Puneri Paltan soon found their momentum with their raiders leading the way. Vishal Bhardwaj recorded the first tackle of the game, giving his side a two-point lead, before the Paltan began asserting their dominance. Aditya Shinde helped them register the first All Out of the match, giving them a 12-6 opening before Pankaj’s two-point raid further extended that lead to eight points after the first quarter.

Aryan Kumar recorded the first tackle for the Pink Panthers and kept the scoreboard ticking for them alongside Ali Samadi, but it was the Paltan that were in complete control courtesy of their defenders led by Vishal Bhardwaj. Pankaj Mohite also came good with a successful Do-Or-Die Raid, followed by a multi-point raid, to extend their advantage to eleven points.

Mohit Goyat also began to chip in for the Paltan, while Vishal Bhardwaj registered his third tackle of the night to inflict a second All Out on the Pink Panthers. Their dominance was reflected in the score at the end of the first half, with Paltan in the driver’s seat with the score at 25-12.

The Pink Panthers roared back in the second half courtesy of some magic from their Iranian duo. Ali Samadi gave them some much-needed momentum to get back into the contest with a Super Raid and followed it up with a two-point raid, completing his Super 10 in the process.

His Iranian counterpart, Reza Mirbagheri, then helped the Pink Panthers register their first All Out, narrowing the deficit to three points. Puneri Paltan showed some resolve, with Aditya Shinde also completing his Super 10, helping his side regain a five-point lead with under ten minutes to play.

There was no stopping Ali Samadi as he continued to put his opponents under pressure, once again cutting Paltan’s lead down to three points. The Iranian raiders’ brilliance, coupled with a tackle by Aashish Kumar, helped the Pink Panthers get back on level terms at 33-33 with under three minutes to go.

With the game coming down to the wire, the Paltan showed why they’re regarded as one of the best defensive units in the league. Dadaso Pujari registered a crucial Super Tackle on Ali Samadi, and that was followed up by another Super Tackle by Mohit Goyat, helping Ajay Thakur’s side regain their five-point advantage with under a minute to go.

A tackle and a quick raid by Ali Samadi gave the Pink Panthers a glimmer of hope in the dying seconds, but it wasn’t meant to be for them. Mohit Goyat shut the door on any possibility of a comeback, bagging a multi-point raid in his last attempt to lead Puneri Paltan to a 41-36 victory.

- IANS