PKL 11: We can't win if defence plays loose, says Telugu Titans coach Krishan Hooda

Jaipur Pink Panthers emerged victorious by a 52-22 scoreline against Telugu Titans.

Jaipur Pink Panthers’ captain Arjun Deshwal delivered an outstanding performance, leading by example with 19 points, as his team dominated the Telugu Titans with a crushing 52-22 victory in Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 (PKL 11) at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, on Tuesday evening. This win marked the Pink Panthers’ second consecutive triumph in PKL 11.

Speaking to the media Telugu Titans coach Krishan Kumar Hooda and captain Pawan Sehrawat, followed by Jaipur Pink Panthers assistant coach alongside captain Arjun Deshwal shared their thought on the PKL 11 match.

On the second consecutive loss

The match began with both captains, Pawan Sehrawat of the Telugu Titans and Arjun Deshwal of the Jaipur Pink Panthers, getting on the scoreboard of the PKL 11 game first. Following their lead, both teams engaged in a closely contested battle, trading points during the early stages. To the delight of the home crowd in Hyderabad, the Titans held a narrow 2-point advantage after the first ten minutes, largely thanks to the efforts of skipper Sehrawat.

“The team did not play well. The defence ruined the entire game. You can’t win games when defence plays this loose,” said Telugu coach

“Like we saw today. If you play badly you will lose. But we will make a strong comeback in the next match,” he added.

As the half progressed, Deshwal kept pace with his counterpart, matching him point for point. Despite the Pink Panthers’ pressure, the Titans managed to stay ahead in the PKL 11 game, with strong support coming from Vijay Malik and Ashish Narwal.

On the team performance

However, a game-changing moment came when Abhijeet Malik pulled off a Super Raid, shifting the momentum in favour of the Pink Panthers. Shortly after, Deshwal led his team to inflict an ALL OUT on the Titans, giving Jaipur a 5-point cushion as they ended the first half with an 18-13 lead.

“We made the same mistakes that we did in the last match, our combination is not setting. In the start, we were pretty good. Then we started making some small, minor mistakes, but we will come back stronger against Delhi, ” said Pawan Sehrawat.

On facing the Haryana Steelers

In the final phase, defender Ankush Rathee dashed any hopes of a Titans comeback by inflicting yet another ALL-OUT. This was quickly followed by Lucky Sharma adding another ALL OUT to seal the fate of the Titans. In the end, the Jaipur Pink Panthers secured a resounding 30-point victory, leaving the Titans with little to celebrate. Jaipur will now go on to face Haryana Steelers on 24th October in PKL 11.

“For the upcoming match, all I can say is that we will plan as usual. We lost to them in the last semifinal so it’s a challenge for us as well, ” Arjun Deshwal concluded.

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