PKL 11: Whoever plays better will lift trophy, says Patna Pirates' Devank

Patna Pirates will face Haryana Steelers in PKL 11 Final on December 29.

Patna Pirates secured their place in the Pro Kabaddi 2024 (PKL 11) Final with a thrilling 32-28 victory over Dabang Delhi K.C. in Semi-Final 2 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune.

Delhi’s captain Naveen and coach Joginder Narwal addressed the media after their loss, while Patna’s captain Ankit alongside Devank, Ayan and coach Narender Singh Redu shared their views on the team’s win in PKL 11.

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On facing Haryana Steelers in PKL 11 Final

Devank and Ayan played pivotal roles, while Shubham Shinde’s High-5 and Ankit’s critical tackle points ensured Patna Pirates held their nerve in a match that went down to the wire.

“I think they are a good team, they reached the finals. We will come after rectifying the mistakes we made earlier. All I wanna say is whoever plays better will win, ” said Devank.

“It’s nothing like they will get heavy on us or we on them. Whoever plays better will win. Shadloui is a good corner and I am a good raider, so we will see what happens, ” he added.

“Haryana are a very good team. They have Shadloui, who is very involved in the game, and then in the right, they have Rahul Sethpal and captain Jaideep, these three are the main ones in the defence. Then there are Vinay and Shivam, who are doing very well as raiders. They are a good team that is why they were at the top of the table, ” added Patna Pirates coach.

“We could have also finished one or two in the table if not for our mistakes, the three-four matches we lost closely, the team has made up for them. I believe our raiders are in good momentum and our defence is playing well too. So I think both the teams that reached the finals are good teams and you will get to see a good match, ” the coach added.

On Patna Pirates’ PKL 11 campaign

The Pirates started strong, with Devank making his mark early, crossing the milestone of 300 career raid points. Shubham Shinde’s defensive brilliance set the tone, allowing the Pirates to inflict an ALL OUT and build a commanding lead. Despite spirited efforts from Delhi’s Naveen Kumar and Ashu Malik, the Pirates ended the first half with a 17-10 advantage.

“There is no doubt on the fact that our team is really good and they have proved it time and again. The raiding department and defence department have played well. I hope they show the same performance in the final as well, ” said the coach.

“I have wanted to get Ayan for two years. Ayan finally got his chance and he is doing well. So I think the players I have taken – Ankit, Devank and Deepak, they have done really well and made a name for themselves. I am very proud that the players I took in the auction did very well and I am very happy that team fought their way into the final, ” the coach concluded.

On Dabang Delhi’s PKL 11 campaign

The second half saw Dabang Delhi fight back, with Mohit’s Super Raid and a timely ALL OUT levelling the scores at 25-25. However, Patna held their composure in the closing minutes, with Shinde and Ayan stepping up to regain the lead. Ankit’s crucial tackle on Naveen sealed the win, sending the Pirates to their fifth PKL final.

“Over the season our team played very well. They did the same today too. They made some minor mistakes today in defence and offence today so we lost the match, and we have accepted that, ” concluded Delhi coach.

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