PKL 11: We gifted match to Jaipur, says Bengal Warriorz captain Fazel Atrachali

Jaipur Pink Panthers emerged victorious by a 39-34 scoreline against the Bengal Warriorz.

The Jaipur Pink Panthers secured a hard-fought victory over the Bengal Warriorz in a thrilling PKL 11 encounter at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. In a match filled with twists and turns, the Panthers edged out the Warriorz with a 39-34 win. Arjun Deshwal led the way for Jaipur with an impressive 15 points, while Nitin Dhankar’s 13 points for Bengal kept the game tight until the very end.

Speaking to the media, Bengal Warriorz captain Fazel Atrachali and coach, followed by Jaipur Pink Panthers captain Arjun Deshawal and coach Sanjeev Baliyan shared their thoughts on the PKL 11 game.

On the narrow loss

The Bengal Warriorz, led by Fazel Atrachali, started strong, with their defensive unit working effectively to keep the Panthers’ raiders at bay. Early exchanges saw both teams adopt a patient approach, with the Warriorz clinging onto a narrow lead.

“This is the first match of the PKL 11 we had some problems. We are learning from our mistakes and coming very strong in the next match. We have a very good team and the season is also very long,” said Fazel.

“The decisive moment was when Vikas touched our left cover Shreyas. If that hadn’t happened the match would have been in our favour,” the Bengal coach shared.

Watch the full PC here:

On Jaipur walking away with full points

However, momentum shifted midway through the first half when Arjun Deshwal, captain of Jaipur, made a series of successful raids to turn the tide in favour of the Jaipur Pink Panthers. A crucial tackle by Abhijeet Malik followed, allowing Jaipur to inflict an ALL OUT on Bengal Warriorz, propelling them into the lead. Despite the Warriorz best efforts to claw back, Jaipur went into the half-time break with a 21-18 advantage.

“There were small mistakes by our team but the problem was the referee and the referee didn’t let us substitute. We had young players, who at one point didn’t know what to do but the referee didn’t let us substitute. Twice that happened and it’s like we gifted the match to Jaipur Pink Panthers,” said Fazel.

On facing UP Yoddhas next

Adding to the note, Fazel iterated that the team is all set to face UP Yoddhas in their next game in PKL 11.

“UP is a good team. They have talented players and their raiding unit is very strong as well. But we will study and strategise and come back stronger the next game,” said the coach.

“No player is difficult for me if I play well. If I and my team play well. Bharat [Hooda] is an easy player to play against, if we play badly, he will be a difficult one,” Fazel concluded.

On kicking off PKL11 with a win

The second half saw cautious play from both sides, with neither team willing to give away easy points. Fazel Atrachali continued to lead the Warriorz defence with precision, while Arjun Deshwal remained the driving force for the Pink Panthers.

‘This was the first match of PKL11. For us winning or losing doesn’t matter but finding the right combination was the key. They also have good players Nitin, Maninder, and Fazel but the touch was a turning point, and we turned out to be lucky,” said Arjun Deshwal speaking on starting PKL 11 with a win.

With under 10 minutes remaining, Abhijeet Malik delivered another key moment by forcing an ALL OUT on the Warriorz, extending Jaipur’s lead to 29-25. Just when it seemed like the Pink Panthers had control, Nitin Dhankar sparked a late Bengal Warriorz comeback in the PKL 11 game, making it an exciting finish.

But with the game in the balance, Abhishek KS stepped up with a critical super tackle, sealing the victory for the Jaipur Pink Panthers. The match ended with Jaipur walking away with a 39-34 win in their PKL 11 opener, following a closely contested battle until the very last moment.

“Our owner AB [Abhishek Bacchan] Sir was there, it felt good to gift him a win in the first match of the game. We had made some mistakes but we will rectify them in the coming match,” Arjun concluded.

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