PKL 11: We have come to win, says Puneri Paltan's captain Aslam Inamdar

Puneri Paltan emerged victorious by a 35-25 scoreline against the Steelers.

The Puneri Paltan began their PKL 11 journey in style with a commanding 35-25 victory over the Haryana Steelers on Saturday at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

Gaurav Khatri was the star for Puneri Paltan, top-scoring with 7 points, while Pankaj Mohite, Mohit Goyat, and Aman contributed 4 points each. Captain Aslam Inamdar also chipped in with 5 points to guide the defending champions to a comfortable win. Speaking to the media, Puneri Paltans coach BC Ramesh and captain Aslam Inamdar followed by Haryana Steelers vice-captain Rahul Sethpal and coach Manpreet Singh shared their thoughts on the PKL 11 encounter.

On carrying the momentum from last season

The Pro Kabaddi League season 11 contest began with Aslam Inamdar launching the first raid for Puneri Paltan. Both teams exchanged points in the early moments, as neither could establish a clear lead. The Steelers kept pace with the Paltan, making for a tight opening phase.

However, Puneri Paltan slowly started to edge ahead midway through the first half. Leading 7-6, Gaurav Khatri delivered a pivotal ALL OUT, extending Paltan’s advantage to 6 points. With Khatri, Goyat, Mohite, and Inamdar playing crucial roles, the Paltan ended the first half in control, going into the break with a 19-13 lead.

“It was a good win. The entire team played like a unit and they all played very well together. We had played them last year in the final and this win was very important,” said the Paltan’s coach.

“All the players are very important and very talented. They might have not had the Super 5s and Super 10s, but they all contributed to the win, someone brought in 4 points while someone brought 7. The defence and the raiders had good coordination. Overall it was a good team game,” he added.

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On starting the season with a win

The second half saw a slower, more tactical approach from both teams, but the Paltan continued to maintain their advantage. The Steelers struggled to mount any serious comeback, as Puneri Paltan’s defence held firm throughout the half.

“It was very important to start the season with a win. Last time we won with a few points, but more this time. Everyone was talking about how Shadlou is not there anymore. It is true but we have taken three players to maybe compensate for that,” coach reflected.

“We have won against them before, we needed to win this to keep up our confidence. We came with a positive mindset and it helped us win. We played as a team and that is what you need to win. Our team did that today and I am very happy about that, ” said Captain Aslam.

On facing Puneri Paltan next in PKL 11

Adding to that Paltan’s captain Aslam also reflected on facing three-time champions Patna Pirates next in PKL 11 on October 21st.

“Kabaddi is a game, where the team and the players change, their game play changes. They might be three-time champions but we are defending champions as well,” said Aslam.

We have no pressure. We will play like today only as a team. I think we will be fine if we can play as a unit. We have come to win and defend the title this time in PKL 11 as well,” he concluded.

On the loss against Puneri Paltan

As the match entered its final minutes, Mohammadreza Shadloui attempted to rally the Steelers, but Puneri Paltan remained in control. Inamdar capped off the performance with a late ALL OUT, extinguishing any hopes of a comeback for the Steelers.

“This was the first match, we didn’t play well. When the match started, the team was playing well but then they started making mistakes, sometimes in the defence, sometimes in the raiding. But they can be forgiven for being the first match of PKL 11”, said Manpreet Singh

“The team will need some time to set and I think everything will be better in the next match, we will come back after rectifying the mistakes made today. We missed Jaideep today, who is not well but he will be back soon. With Shadloui coming our defence has gotten better. Jaideep will also be back for the next match, so I think we will be okay.” he added.

“We started the game well but we made mistakes on the way, we will rectify them and with Shadlou and Jaideep coming back we will be better in the next games, ” Rahul Sethpal concluded.

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