PKL 12: Ayan's 20-point masterclass leads Patna Pirates to Eliminator 2
New Delhi, Oct 26
Patna Pirates continued their sensational form with a commanding 48-32 win over Jaipur Pink Panthers in the Eliminator 1 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Sunday. Ayan Lohchab led the way yet again with his fifth 20+ points game – a feat only Pardeep Narwal and Devank Dalal have achieved in PKL history – while Navdeep delivered a High Five. For the Pink Panthers, Ali Samadi registered a Super 10 that went down in vain.
While Ayan opened his team’s account, Jaipur Pink Panthers sprung a surprise with Parvinder being sent in for their first raid. Ali Samadi also wasted no time to make his presence felt, but that was before a tackle from Ankit Jaglan gave the Pirates an opening. Ayan followed that up with a two-point raid, and it only took his side five minutes to inflict their first ALL OUT.
With a seven-point deficit, tackles from Vinay and Reza Mirbagheri, along with Ali Samadi’s raid, helped the Pink Panthers stay in the game. However, Ayan and Milan Dahiya kept the scoreboard ticking with Ankit Jaglan also registering his second tackle, keeping the Pirates in a 13-6 lead after the first ten minutes.
They further asserted their dominance with a second ALL OUT in fourteen minutes, courtesy a tackle from Navdeep. To make matters worse for the two-time champions, the Pirates raiders also piled on the pressure with Ayan completing his Super 10 and Milan Dahiya inflicting a third ALL OUT at the stroke of half time, giving their team a massive 17-point lead (30-13) at the break.
Jaipur Pink Panthers came flying off the blocks at the start of the second half. Ali Samadi found his groove, while their defence stepped up with Deepanshu Khatri and Aryan Kumar taking the score to 30-18. They contributed with a couple of tackles, while Vinay also chipped in to bring the deficit down to ten points heading into the final quarter.
Aryan Kumar’s third tackle of the night brought the deficit down to eight points before a tackle from Navdeep helped the Pirates regain their double-digit lead. The defender also completed his High Five, ensuring that his team stayed in the driver’s seat. However, Ali Samadi continued to fight for the Pink Panthers, keeping them in the game with the score at 39-28.
With less than four minutes to go, Ayan delivered the decisive blow on a Do-Or-Die Raid, getting two points to establish a 41-29 advantage. He also climbed to the top of the charts for the most raid points in PKL 12 (275), registering his fifth twenty-point game of PKL 12 and helping the Pirates execute a fourth ALL OUT to complete a thumping 47-32 victory.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Navdeep's High Five was equally crucial! Our defense is finally stepping up when it matters most. Perfect team performance at the right time. #PatnaPirates 💛
Jaipur's defense looked completely clueless against Ayan's raids. Four ALL OUTs in one match - that's just brutal dominance! Patna deserves this win completely.
While Ayan was brilliant, I feel the coverage is overlooking Milan Dahiya's contribution. He kept the scoreboard ticking consistently throughout the match. Team effort deserves more recognition!
That decisive Do-Or-Die raid by Ayan in the final minutes was pure class! 275 raid points this season - he's rewriting PKL history books. What a player! 🇮🇳
Credit to Ali Samadi too - he fought hard for Jaipur with his Super 10. Sometimes individual brilliance isn't enough when the team doesn't support. Better luck next season, Panthers!
The way Patna Pirates maintained their composure even when Jaipur tried to make a comeback in the second half shows championship mentality. This team is peaking at the perfect time!
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