PKL 8: Tamil share spoils with Patna, Bengaluru thrash Jaipur

Ajinkya Pawar scored 12 points for the Chennai-based side.

Tamil Thalaivas and Patna Pirates shared the spoils in a 30-30 tie in Match 36 of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 8 at the Sheraton Grand, Whitefield, Bengaluru. Both teams went into the match on unbeaten streaks and matched each other blow for blow in an intensely-contested Kabaddi match. Ajinkya Pawar came off the bench to score 12 points for Thalaivas while Monu Goyat scored nine for the Pirates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJMqr4jP0t0

Interestingly, Coach Uday Kumar opted for a much-changed Tamil line-up against the Pirates with Manjeet and K. Prapanjan starting on the bench. Ajinkya Pawar, whose brilliant cameos had helped Thaliavas in the previous matches also started from the dugout. But with captain Surjeet Singh on the mat, the Tamil Thalaivas continued to look like a dominant side capable of challenging the best.

It was raining tackle points the entire half with Patna’s all-rounders also chipping in with tackles and assists. Monu Goyat was the stand-out star for the three-time champions, picking up difficult points against a well-drilled Tamil Thalaivas defence. Patna’s hybrid Kabaddi players, capable of defending and attacking, made it difficult for Thalaivas to target any weaknesses. The Patna Pirates clinched their first ALL OUT of PKL Season 8 in the last minute of the first half which finished 18-12 in favour of the men in green.

Ajinkya Pawar’s introduction provided much need sharpness to the Tamil raiding unit. His 2-point raid early in the second half set the tone for the Thalaivas who went on to get an ALL OUT in the 8th minute. Ajinkya Pawar also clinched his Super 10 as Thalaivas opened a 2-point with 10 minutes remaining in the PKL encounter.

Patna stayed in the game, with two crucial reviews ensuring they stayed within touching distance from the Tamil Thalaivas in the PKL encounter. Sajin C. was having a poor night on the mat for Patna Iranian Mohammadreza Chiyaneh ensured they stayed focused with body blocks and dashes. The scores were 30-30 with one minute left in the match and the teams decided to safeguard the three points (for a tie) rather than go for the win in the PKL tie.

Bengaluru Bulls beat Jaipur Pink Panthers

Pawan Sehrawat was at his sublime best as Bengaluru Bulls decimated Jaipur Pink Panthers 38-31 in Match 37 of PKL Season 8. The star raider scored 18 points, including one for a tackle, to help the Bulls regain that top spot on the points table. 

Arjun Deshwal’s Super 10 helped Jaipur lose by a margin of just 7 which gave them one crucial point. Jaipur captain Deepak Hooda had yet another poor performance while Bengaluru second raider Chandran Ranjit was hardly required in a largely one-sided match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k3HVsctflY

Coach Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan made some brave moves ahead of the match by replacing big-name Sandeep Dhull for the experienced Dharmaraj Cheralathan. And the revitalised defence started the match well with Pawan Sehrawat being tackled successfully twice in the first minutes. But the 'High-flyer' is usually a slow starter, and he picked his game up as the half progressed. The Bulls got their first ALL OUT of the match in the 12th minute to open a 7-point lead.

At the other end, Arjun Deshwal kept Jaipur in the hunt with 6 raid points. But the first half, which ended 20-14 in favour of the Bulls, belonged completely to Pawan Sehrawat. He secured his Super 10 in quick time to put the pressure on Jaipur.

Jaipur sensed an opportunity to inflict an ALL OUT in the early minutes of the second half but Bulls’ substitute G.B. More produced 2 stunning tackles to revive their best players. Pawan Sehrawat was in no mood to even let Jaipur sniff a chance and his relentless raiding finally resulted in another ALL OUT and a 15-point lead in the 11th minute. 

Arjun Deshwal secured yet another Super 10 as Pink Panthers capitalised on the Bulls’ casual approach on the mat. With the win secured, the Bulls defenders jumped into bad tackles and their carelessness gifted Panthers an ALL OUT in the last minute. 

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