PKL 8: Pune thrash Haryana, U.P. beat Jaipur

Both teams performed brilliantly in the matches.

A collective performance helped Puneri Paltan thrash Haryana Steelers 45-27 in Match 108 of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 8. Mohit Goyat picked up a Super 10 (12 points including 2 tackle points) and defender Sombir clinched a High 5 (7 tackle points) as Pune controlled the proceeding from the first whistle to the last.

Haryana had a poor day in both defence and attack with their usually reliable cover defence combination of Jaideep and Mohit also struggling. The win will help Pune improve their chances of making it to the Season 8 Playoffs. Ashish was the highest scorer for Haryana with 8 points in the PKL.

The first belonged completely to the team from Pune. Coach Anup Kumar’s youngsters approached the mat with no fear, and they dominated the Steelers in defence and attack. Mohit Goyat was the pick of the raiders, picking up points with ease and leaving Haryana’s defence disoriented. Paltan got their first ALL OUT in the 6th minute to open an 8-point lead.

The Steelers staged a mini fightback with Vikash Kandola but Sombir produced a stunning Super Tackle to once again shift the momentum to Pune’s side. Pune’s strategy was clear – tackle Vikash and then control the mat when the Haryana captain is in the dugout. He pulled off three perfect tackles in the closing minutes of the first half as Pune clinched another ALL OUT. Haryana’s much-famed defence had just 1 successful tackle in the entire half. The first half ended with the scores 26-7.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh1LgIKs3iQ

Haryana brought in Surender Nada and Rohit Gulia after the interval to add more steel to their team. But the changes made little difference as Pune kept attacking relentlessly. Right corner defender Sombir picked up a High 5 as Pune clinched yet another ALL OUT in the 5th minute after the restart. The ALL OUT widened Paltan's lead to 25 points.

Nitin Tomar, playing a ‘libero’ defender role, initiated a few outstanding tackles as Pune’s defenders refused to let Haryana raiders settle. Mohit Goyat also picked his Super 10 while Pune also gave ‘showman’ Rahul Chaudhari a chance to make a comeback after a long injury layoff.

Haryana secured an ALL OUT with 2 minutes remaining but that made very little difference to the final outcome as Pune clinched an important win in their race for a playoff berth. 

Pardeep Narwal shines against Jaipur

A vintage Pardeep Narwal masterclass helped U.P. Yoddha beat Jaipur Pink Panthers 41-34 in Match 109 of PKL Season 8. The ‘Record Breaker’ scored 14 raid points as he helped Yoddha pull off an important comeback victory. The win will help improve U.P.'s chances of a berth in the Playoffs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYBC6hC1Jds

Jaipur dominated the early stages of the match, but Pardeep Narwal clinched three Super Raids in the second half to take the game completely away from the men in pink. Arjun Deshwal scored a Super 10 for the Panthers who will rue the missed opportunity to go closer to a Playoff spot. 

The Pink Panthers started the match on the front foot with Sahul Kumar tackling Yoddha’s Pardeep Narwal in the very first raid of the match. The Panthers raced to a quick lead but failed to inflict an ALL OUT. Ashu Singh pulled off an important raid point and followed it with a Super Tackle to initiate a U.P. revival.

But Arjun Deshwal’s clever raids ensured the men in pink prevented that Yoddha surge as the Season 1 champions clinched an ALL OUT in the 12th minute. That gave Jaipur a 4-point lead but U.P. kept attacking them. Pardeep Narwal and Surender Gill slowly got their act together as Yoddha reduced the Panthers lead to one point by the interval. The first half ended 19-18.

U.P. staged a mighty comeback early in the second half as Pardeep Narwal clinched a 3-point Super Raid (+2 for ALL OUT) to remove all the Jaipur men on the mat. That gave U.P. a narrow lead but Jaipur didn’t let them run away with it. Both sets of defences took control in the subsequent minutes with a few bone-crushing tackles.

Arjun Deshwal clinched his Super 10 as Jaipur trailed by two points with 10 minutes on the clock. Pardeep Narwal got another 3-point Super Raid with six minutes on the clock to give Yoddha an important 5-point lead. He also completed his Super 10 in the process. But the Panthers immediately fought back with a Super Tackle on the ‘Record Breaker. There was only a two-point difference with 5 minutes remaining in the match. 

Sandeep Dhull’s tackle on Surender Gill helped Jaipur level the scores in the dying minutes. But Pardeep Narwal picked up an important raid point in a Do-or-Die situation to ease the pressure on Yoddha. Nitesh Kumar then successfully tackled Deepak Hooda in the final minute, to open up a lead. Pardeep sealed the victory with another 3-point Super Raid in the final move of the match.

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