Key Points

Gujarat Giants rose from the bottom of the points table after a commanding 47-40 victory over Bengal Warriorz. Meanwhile, Puneri Paltan secured a narrow yet crucial 41-36 win against Jaipur Pink Panthers in a tightly contested match.

Speaking to JioStar, Rishank Devadiga analysed Gujarat's well-rounded, dominant display, pointed out Bengal's defensive errors, and praised Puneri Paltan's balanced raiding partnership of Pankaj Mohite and Aditya Shinde.

On Bengal Warriorz's defensive struggles against Gujarat Giants, Devadiga said,

"Devank Dalal is the kind of player who will always bring you points in raids. He can fit into any team. But it's the responsibility of the defence to back him up, and that support was missing against the Gujarat Giants. The Bengal Warriorz's defence was disappointing, managing only five tackle points in the entire match.

"Gujarat, on the other hand, showed complete dominance, playing as a cohesive defensive unit. Rakesh was particularly impressive with the way he started the game. The battle between Mohammadreza Shadloui and Devank Dalal was also exciting to watch."

Speaking about Gujarat Giants' collective team effort against Bengal Warriorz and Shadloui's contribution to the team's win, Devadiga added, "The Gujarat Giants played like a complete unit against the Bengal Warriorz, and that's what led to their success. Every defender did a commendable job, and the way Mohammadreza Shadloui looked to break Bengal's morale early on set the tone.

"In the opening phase, he attacked Devank Dalal, while Ankit Dahiya also targeted Devank twice and from there, Gujarat established a firm grip on the game. Shadloui contributed in both departments, earning two raid points and five tackle points. We can say this mighty player has truly started to find his rhythm."

Devank Dalal put forth a noteworthy performance. Devadiga praised his efforts, calling him a 'fearless raider,' and also lauded his variation and skills.

"Devank is an unstoppable player, a fearless raider in every sense. Whenever he goes on a raid, he shows great variation and skills, whether it's through kicks, running hand touches, or bonus points. His performances have been outstanding. But when a player consistently brings you more than 20 points, it becomes the defenders' responsibility to back him up.

"Against Gujarat, however, the Bengal Warriorz defense completely failed. They gave away points far too easily. Rakesh capitalized on these mistakes with 18 raid points.

"From the defensive unit of the Warriorz, Ashish Malik struggled, Shivansh Thakur couldn't secure a single point, and Nitesh Kumar had a poor outing before being substituted. Continuous defensive errors pushed the game away from Bengal. Despite Devank's multi-point raids keeping them in the contest, the lack of defensive support cost them the match."

In the other match on Saturday, Puneri Paltan narrowly defeated Jaipur Pink Panthers with a 41-36 score in a closely fought contest. Speaking of their close victory, Devadiga said:

"Despite the win, Puneri Paltan will still be slightly disappointed. They started well, but couldn't maintain that momentum until the end. In terms of raid points, Jaipur impressed, earning more than Pune, but the difference came from the tackle points, where Pune's defenders stepped up. Ali Samadi, however, deserves huge praise.

"The way he fought back single-handedly in the second half was exceptional. Even though his team was trailing by a big margin, he didn't lose hope and kept fighting till the end. Hats off to Ali Samadi for that performance."

Lastly, praising the Paltan for their balanced performance against Jaipur, he added, "A settled raiding combination always gives a team a big advantage, and in this matchup between Puneri Paltan and Jaipur Pink Panthers, Pankaj Mohite and Aditya Shinde executed that perfectly. Pankaj attacked from the right, while Aditya kept earning points from the left. That early rhythm helped Pune build a strong lead, and they looked comfortable playing in a safe zone.

"But later, they started to struggle. Dadaso Pujari, however, delivered a crucial defensive moment, his super tackle on Ali Samadi completely changed the game. If Samadi had scored in that raid, Pune would have definitely ended on the losing side."

- IANS