PKL 12: Top five best moments from Day 22 matches

Puneri Paltan holds the top spot at the end of Day 22 of PKL 12.

Day 22 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12) witnessed two thrilling matches, each featuring late comebacks. In both matches, one side held a huge lead at one stage, but the opposition bounced back strongly.

In the first match, Dabang Delhi dominated the first 30 minutes, but super sub Ankit Rana single-handedly changed the course of the game. The Patna Pirates went on to snatch victory in the very last raid. In the second game, Haryana Steelers started aggressively, inflicting an early all-out on the Tamil Thalaivas.

However, the Thalaivas staged a late comeback through Arjun Deshwal, but Haryana held their nerves, avoided a crucial all-out, and secured yet another win. With this victory, Manpreet Singh also achieved a remarkable milestone, registering his 100th PKL win as a coach.

The day was filled with drama and thrilling moments, making it difficult to pick just five. On that note, let’s take a look at the top five moments from Day 22 of PKL 12:

5. Arjun Deshwal’s Super 10

The Haryana Steelers dominated the start of the match, inflicting an early all-out on the Tamil Thalaivas. They managed to keep Arjun Deshwal quiet for a while, but it didn’t last long as he picked up his pace quickly and led a fightback.

Arjun scored his fifth Super 10 of the season, finishing with 13 raid points. He was the reason behind the Thalaivas’ late comeback, bringing them close in the game. However, crucial defensive errors at the end cost them the game, and the Thalaivas fell just short of victory.

With this defeat, the Thalaivas have now lost two matches in a row, and captain Arjun will be hoping his side quickly regains form in the upcoming fixtures.

4. Mayank Saini’s Match Saving Raid

Haryana Steelers were brilliant right from the start of the match. Their raiding department, led by Shivam Patare, continued to pick up points, while the defense also performed well.

However, in the last 10 minutes, the Tamil Thalaivas staged a grand comeback, reducing the lead to just 5 points with less than 3 minutes to go.

The Steelers were on the verge of an all-out as only one player was left on the mat. That’s when coach Manpreet Singh sent in Mayank as a substitute. Tasked with a crucial raid, Mayank knew the stakes; had he been tackled, the lead would have been reduced to just 2 points.

But, he produced a moment of brilliance, escaping a chain tackle attempt from both Thalaivas’ covers and picking up 2 vital touch points. His raid not only saved Haryana from an all-out but also sealed a hard-fought victory for the Steelers.

3. Ankit Rana’s Super 10

With Ayan and the other raiders struggling to breach the Dabang Delhi defence, Delhi raced to a 10-point lead and looked in complete control of the game. That’s when coach Anup Kumar decided to sub in Ankit Rana, trusting him with continuous raids, and he didn’t disappoint.

Using his quickness and sharp presence of mind, Ankit kept piling up raid points and scripted an incredible comeback for the Patna Pirates. He was everywhere on the mat, jumping over defenders, escaping blocks, going deep for touches, and even delivering multi-point raids that led to an all-out on Dabang Delhi.

Ankit went on to score his first-ever Super 10 in PKL, finishing with 12 raid points and being tackled only once throughout the match. His brilliant efforts in the final minutes were the main reason the Pirates snatched a thrilling victory and clinched two crucial points.

2. Intense Last Minute in the first match

The first match of Day 22 was packed with drama and excitement. Despite a comeback, the Patna Pirates were still trailing by 3 points with just a minute remaining.

Ashu Malik went in for a do-or-die raid for Dabang Delhi, but the Pirates managed to tackle him, cutting Delhi’s lead to just 2 points with 46 seconds left on the clock.

Ankit Rana then entered the raid and secured a brilliant point, showing his incredible escaping skills. Delhi took their full 30 seconds on the next raid, and with less than 10 seconds remaining, Ankit went in for another raid, in the defence of 2.

Even Anup Kumar, known for his calmness, lost his cool at that moment and argued with the referee over a Delhi substitution. Ankit then slipped past Fazel’s block and quickly leveled the game. With just 1 second left, Neeraj Narwal was subbed in for Delhi, attempting what seemed like an empty raid.

However, under instructions from coach Joginder Narwal to go for a point, Neeraj went for it, and that’s when Ankit Jaglan dived at his legs, completing a tackle and securing a historic and thrilling win for the Pirates.

1. Manpreet Singh’s 100th Win

Haryana Steelers head coach Manpreet Singh was told in an interview after the last match that this was his 99th win as head coach in the PKL. He was initially surprised that he had won only 99 games in 8 seasons as coach, despite his team reaching the finals four times and winning one title.

He assured everyone that his 100th win would come soon. Today, his students from Haryana Steelers gifted him his 100th win as a coach. They played the brilliant brand of kabaddi he had always expected from them and secured yet another victory.

Manpreet has been coaching since Season 5 and has excelled with both the teams he coached. With the Gujarat Giants, he reached three playoffs and two finals in four seasons.

Later, during his stint with the Haryana Steelers, his team reached the finals twice and won a title last year, ending his personal drought of trophies as a coach. Once again, he is leading his team exceptionally well; they are currently in third position on the points table with six wins in eight games and are aiming to defend their title.

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