“Mohammadreza Shadlou Chiyaneh’s tackles on Pardeep Narwal were the turning point” - Puneri Paltan coach BC Ramesh
Puneri Paltan coach BC Ramesh labeled Mohammadreza Shadlou Chiyaneh’s performance as the turning point in their nine-point victory over UP Yoddhas.
The Paltan went up against the Yoddhas on the final day of the Noida leg with an unbeaten five-match run. They have unarguably been the best side so far in PKL 10, having produced some one-sided contests.
As usual, they started their game against the Yoddhas on a positive note, gaining a decent lead. However, record-breaker Pardeep Narwal did what he is known for and produced a clutch all-out in the 17th minute.
Pune were down to two men - Abinesh Nadarajan and Akash Shinde, who almost got a super tackle on Pardeep. However, an error from Akash and brilliance from Pardeep saw UP make a comeback with that all-out.
The game became even after that, with hardly anything to separate both the sides. Then came Puneri Paltan’s main man - the Iranian star left corner Mohammadreza Shadlou Chiyaneh.
He lived up to his price tag once again and got Pardeep Narwal out twice in the second half. These tackles came in the 21st and 23rd minute of the game, ensuring that Pardeep was out of the court for the majority of the half.
Coach BC Ramesh was all praise for the Iranian defender for his match-winning performance.
"After conceding an all-out to Pardeep Narwal, our defenders, especially Mohammadreza Shadlou Chiyaneh, initiated a couple of tackles on him and stopped him to ensure our win,” said BC Ramesh during the post-match press conference.
Amidst this, Sanket Sawant’s performance should also be given equal credit. He also got Pardeep out the same number of times in the second half. He and Shadlou, along with other defenders, kept Pardeep quiet and just gave him one point in the last 20 minutes.
How many points did Mohammadreza Shadlou Chiyaneh score?
Mohammadreza Shadlou Chiyaneh got yet another High Five as he managed to secure five tackle points against UP Yoddhas with just one unsuccessful attempt. Not only this, the Iranian defender also showed his raiding skills, securing two raid points in as many raids.
With this performance, he moved up to the second spot in the list of most tackle points, with 34 points to his name. The important thing to note is that these points have come at an average of 3.78, a remarkable tackle strike rate of 54%. This was Shadlou’s third High Five of the season in just nine games so far.