Premier Handball League 2023: Maharashtra Ironmen, Delhi Panzers thrash Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan Patriots

This was a first-ever win in PHL for both teams.

Maharashtra Ironmen thrashed the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh, while Delhi Panzers, despite a slow start to the game, recorded a colossal victory against the Rajasthan Patriots to register their first win in the Premier Handball League 2023.

Maharashtra Ironmen thrash Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh

Maharashtra Ironmen thrashed the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh in a game that ended 43-28 in favour of the Ironmen. The Punit Balan-owned team put on a dominant display in the match as they did not give the Golden Eagles a chance to find a way back into the tie.

The stadium was packed to the brim as 1100 spectators had made their way to the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium.

Maharashtra Ironmen started the game aggressively as they looked to take the lead in the game from the first whistle. Unfortunately, Ranjeet Singh of the Ironmen got injured in the opening minutes of the game and had to be stretched off.

The early injury however was not a deterrent for Maharashtra. Igor Chiseliov, Manjeet Kumar and Jalal Kiani were in fine touch as they were combining well and scoring at will in the early exchanges of the game. Ironmen’s goalkeeper Naveen Deshwal also showcased excellent reflexes as he made numerous fine saves to help the Ironmen establish an unassailable lead, even denying Sukhveer Singh Brar from scoring a penalty in the first half. 

At the 15th-minute mark of the game the scores read 11-6 in favour of Maharashtra as the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh were finding it hard to contain the free-scoring Ironmen. Soon after the first half came to a close with the scores reading 17-12 in favour of Maharashtra Ironmen as a lacklustre Golden Eagles side were finding it hard to find their cutting edge in attack.

The Ironmen started the second half in similar fashion to that of the first half. Chiseliov, Kiani and Manjeet made sure their team carried their momentum from the first half into the second half. Ankit Kumar of the Ironmen also slowly grew into the game as he was supporting the likes of Manjeet and Kiani superbly.

The Golden Eagles looked shell-shocked due to the attacking proficiency of the Ironmen and were struggling to find a foothold in the game. The Golden Eagles’ standout performers from their last game, Sukhveer Singh Brar and Vikas were also unable to inspire a comeback as the Ironmen kept extending their lead. Halfway through the second half the scores read 28-18 in favour of the Ironmen, who were easily dominating the Golden Eagles in the game. 

Maharashtra’s relentless attack saw them extend their lead further as the game ended at 43-28 in favour of the Ironmen who had secured a classy. Igor Chiseliov was the top scorer for the Maharashtra Ironmen with 12 goals, while Sukhveer Singh Brar was the top scorer for the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh with 10 goals. Maharashtra’s Jalal Kiani was adjudged to be the best player of the match for his excellent performance in an attack that saw him score 10 goals in the game.

Final Score - Maharashtra Ironmen 43-28 Golden Eagles UP

Delhi Panzers blow away Rajasthan Patriots

The Delhi Panzers despite a slow start to the game recorded a colossal victory against the Rajasthan Patriots to register their first win in the Premier Handball League 2023. The game ended 18-34 in favour of the Panzers.

The sixth match of the Premier Handball League 2023 witnessed Rajasthan Patriots take on Delhi Panzers in an entertaining match. Both the Patriots and Panzers had a slow start to the game as despite creating numerous chances both sets of players were struggling to find their finishing touch. Rajasthan Patriots’ captain and goalkeeper Atul Kumar was in fine form as he made countless saves to not allow Delhi to establish a lead.

Halfway through the first half the scores read 4-5 in favour of the Panzers. However soon after the Panzers’ captain and talisman Deepak Ahlawat found his finishing touch and helped Delhi to slowly pull away from the Patriots. Jasmeet Singh and Bhupender Singh of the Panzers were backing their captain brilliantly also as the three together aided the Delhi Panzers to establish a lead as the first half ended 9-14 in their favour.

The Rajasthan Patriots came out for the second half determined to cut short the lead the Delhi Panzers held from the first half. The Patriots star players Hardev Singh, Dmitry Kireev and Arjun Lakra were slowly getting into their attacking groove. The Patriots were passing the ball fluidly as Delhi were finding it hard to close down the gaps in their defence.

Despite the Patriots resurgence, the Panzers found another gear in attack as they were able to score consistently. At the 45th-minute mark of the game, the scores read 15-24 in favour of the Panzers who had established a healthy lead going into the final 15 minutes. 

Nitin Kumar Sharma of the Panzers was also playing his role as the penalty save specialist brilliantly as he saved three crucial penalties coming off the bench in the second half of the match which did not allow Rajasthan to find a way back into the game. Bhupender Ghanghas of the Panzers was also in fine knick as Ahlawat, Jasmeet and he continued combining well in attack to further extend their team’s lead.

The Panzers starting goalkeeper Elmuratov Sardor proved to be pivotal for his team in this game as he made some exceptional saves throughout the game that made sure the Patriots were not able to mount a comeback. Soon after the game ended 18-34 in favour of the Delhi Panzers, who recorded the biggest win margin of the first season of the Premier Handball League so far. 

For the Delhi Panzers, Bhupender Ghanghas was the top scorer for his team against the Patriots with 11 goals, while Dmitry Kireev of the Patriots emerged as the top scorer for his team in the tie with 5 goals. The Delhi Panzers goalkeeper Elmuratov Sardor was awarded the best player of the match for his countless saves in the game that proved to be pivotal for Delhi en route to their first victory in the PHL.

Final Score - Rajasthan Patriots 18-34 Delhi Panzers