PKL 12 Thriller: How Jaipur Pink Panthers Eliminated Defending Champions Haryana Steelers

It was a topsy-turvy start for both teams as they traded early blows in the first 10 minutes. Nitin Kumar started the assault for the Pink Panthers after he got Neeraj, but soon after, Shivam Patare struck back to dismiss Deepanshu Khatri. As much as the raiders shone in the early minutes, the defenders were equally adept.

Reza Mirbagheri tackled Vinay, then Mohit brought down Shivam before Neeraj single-handedly got Ali Samadi with an ankle hold. Despite this, the Pink Panthers took a slight lead as their defenders struck repeatedly. Deepanshu got his revenge on Shivam, followed by Ali Samadi’s successful do-or-die raid on Rahul Sethpal, ensuring the first quarter ended with the score reading 9-5.

The pressure mounted on the defending champions in the second quarter, led by the prowess of the Pink Panthers’ Nitin Kumar. He began with a two-point raid on the Steelers that sent Ashish Narwal and Neeraj to the bench, leaving just Jaideep on the mat. The skipper was then tackled by Mohit as the first All Out of the match was inflicted on the Steelers.

The lead extended to six points after that. Steelers’ Vinay added to the tally with a bonus point, but the Pink Panthers remained decisive throughout. Another successful raid from Ali Samadi got Jaideep, while Deepanshu tackled Shivam yet again. This was followed by another tackle from Aryan Kumar on Vinay, taking the score to 18-10 in favour of the two-time champions.

The Steelers worked hard to pull themselves back into the match. Neeraj tackled Parvinder, and then Shivam got Mohit in an impressive raid as the defending champions reduced the lead to six points. But for every move, the Pink Panthers had a counter-attack.

Sahil Narwal was eliminated from the mat by Nitin Kumar, and then Deepanshu got his fourth tackle point of the night with another move on Shivam. Vinay got a point off Reza Mirbagheri but had to get off the mat after stepping into the lobby. Jaideep got a tackle on Ali Samadi in a do-or-die raid, keeping his side in the match, with the score at 22-16 at the end of the third quarter.

Post the Strategic Time Out, the Pink Panthers kept the pressure up on the defending champions. Shivam Patare got Ali Samadi, but then Vinay was tackled once again. With four minutes on the clock, the Steelers were six points away from elimination in PKL 12. At this moment, Ashish Narwal entered the fray.

He got two consecutive raid points, first a point off Mohit and then Aryan. Shivam got a touch point on Deepanshu, before Neeraj got Sahil, leaving just Pink Panthers skipper Nitin Rawal on the mat. He was eventually eliminated by Ashish Narwal, inflicting the All Out on the Pink Panthers and levelling the score.

With 2 minutes left, the lead went back to the Pink Panthers after an error from Ashish Narwal gave Nitin Kumar another touch point. The Steelers had also lost Sahil Narwal to a yellow card, giving the two-time PKL champions an advantage. A tackle on Vinay by Aryan, which also completed his High Five, effectively sealed the win for the Pink Panthers, as the defending champions were eliminated from the tournament after a three-point loss.

- IANS