PKL: Defenders Shine as Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba Battle to a Draw
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Pune, Dec 5 (NationPress) It was a memorable evening at the Balewadi Sports Complex, as the defenders took the spotlight for both the Jaipur Pink Panthers and the U Mumba in a tightly contested match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 on Thursday.
The match concluded with both teams drawing at a score of 22-22. For U Mumba, Sombir secured 7 points, while Rohit Raghav contributed 4 points. On the flip side, Reza Mirbagheri from the Jaipur Pink Panthers scored 6 points, alongside Ronak Singh with 4 points and Ankush Rathee with 3 points.
The U Mumba started the match strong, gaining an early lead of 3 points. Both teams began cautiously, making it challenging to accumulate points during the initial phase. However, a quick comeback from the Jaipur Pink Panthers was initiated by Neeraj Narwal and Surjeet Singh.
As the first half progressed, U Mumba effectively held off the Jaipur Pink Panthers, particularly targeting the dangerous Arjun Deshwal. After ten minutes, U Mumba led by 2 points with the score at 6-4. Both teams' defenders showcased exceptional skills, complicating raids for the attackers. Players like Neeraj Narwal and Ajit Chouhan faced significant challenges, while defenders topped the scoring for their teams. Before the first fifteen minutes concluded, Sombir achieved his High-5, keeping U Mumba in the lead at the half-time break with a score of 12-8.
In the second half, a pivotal Super Tackle by Ronak Singh allowed the Jaipur Pink Panthers to equalize with U Mumba. Following this, Shrikant Jadhav propelled the Season 10 champions into the lead in what evolved into a fiercely contested match.
U Mumba, however, quickly regained the lead and entered the final ten minutes with the upper hand. As the match approached its climax, both teams looked to their key players for inspiration, with the Jaipur Pink Panthers relying on Arjun Deshwal and U Mumba turning to the young talent, Ajit Chouhan, although both defenses struggled to coordinate effectively.
With approximately three minutes remaining, Reza Mirbagheri executed a Super Tackle against Ajit Chouhan, achieving his High-5 and leveling the scores for the Jaipur Pink Panthers. Ultimately, both teams had to settle for a draw.
