New Delhi, Oct 12 (NationPress) Puneri Paltan demonstrated remarkable resilience as they overcame Dabang Delhi K.C. with a thrilling score of 6-5 after the match ended in a tie at 38-38 during Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Thyagaraj Stadium on Sunday night. This crucial win propelled Puneri Paltan to the top of the leaderboard based on points difference, showcasing an all-around performance spearheaded by Pankaj Mohite (7 points) and captain Aslam Inamdar (6 points).

Marking the 10th tie-breaker of the season, Ajinkya Pawar’s Super 10 and Saurabh Nandal’s High Five were not enough to secure a win for Dabang Delhi.

Puneri Paltan made a vigorous start against Dabang Delhi K.C., establishing control within the opening ten minutes. With their raiders in excellent form, the Paltan surged ahead with the skillful attacks of Pankaj Mohite and Aditya Shinde, who effectively exploited gaps in Dabang Delhi’s defense.

Conversely, Dabang Delhi faced a rocky start. Their leading raiders, Ajinkya and Neeraj, struggled to penetrate the Paltan’s defense, while Fazel Atrachali was sidelined early in the half.

Despite some successful raids from Pawar and Neeraj, Dabang Delhi failed to gain momentum, suffering an ALL OUT midway through the half that widened the score gap. By the 10-minute mark, the Paltan had forged a commanding 14-7 lead.

In the second quarter, Ajinkya sparked a comeback for his team. He eliminated Gaurav Khatri and Gurdeep, followed by Aslam as the Paltan’s numbers dwindled to two players. This set the stage for an impressive resurgence from the season 8 PKL champions, who began to close the gap.

Ajinkya continued to shine; his raids took out Rakesh and Aslam, and Sandeep’s tackle on Mohit Goyat completed the ALL OUT, narrowing the Paltan’s lead to just two points. Ajinkya achieved a Super Raid, eliminating Gurdeep, Pankaj, and Vishal Bhardwaj. At the end of the first half, Saurabh Nandal’s tackle on Aditya Shinde ensured Dabang Delhi took a 21-20 lead into halftime.

Ajinkya secured a well-deserved Super 10 in a Do-Or-Die raid at the beginning of the second half, keeping the pressure on the season 10 champions. Both teams exchanged blows evenly, but another moment of brilliance shifted the momentum in Dabang Delhi’s favor.

Sandeep tackled Aslam, and following a successful raid by Ajinkya, Saurabh eliminated Abinesh Nadarajan, inflicting an All Out for a second time on the Paltan. Saurabh also achieved his High Five, as Dabang Delhi maintained their lead in the third quarter, with the score standing at 32-27.

For every move made by Puneri Paltan, Dabang Delhi had a counter. Aslam managed to tackle Fazel Atrachali, and then Surjeet Singh, while Gurdeep took down Neeraj Narwal. This provided the Paltan with a lifeline in the match, as Dabang Delhi was reduced to just three players.

In a critical moment, super-sub Naveen executed a Super Tackle, extending Dabang Delhi’s lead to four points. Mohit Goyat then managed to touch Fazel Atrachali and subsequently Saurabh Nandal, leaving the table toppers with only one player – Naveen – who was caught by Mohit Goyat, resulting in an ALL OUT on Dabang Delhi and leading to the first tie-breaker of the Delhi leg with the score at 38-38.

Aditya Shinde tackled Surjeet in the opening raid, and Neeraj Narwal responded with a Bonus Point, leveling the score at 1-1. Ajinkya was then tackled, giving Puneri the lead, followed by Abinesh taking out Surjeet. Fazel earned a raid point, but Mohit Goyat secured a bonus point, allowing Puneri to maintain their advantage. Aslam was tackled by Dabang Delhi but also earned a bonus point, effectively sealing the victory for Puneri Paltan.