Pro Kabaddi 2019, Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Puneri Paltan: Panthers demolish Pune to snap their winless streak
After not being able to notch up a win in their past nine Pro Kabaddi 2019 matches, Jaipur Pink Panthers made a cracking comeback by outclassing Puneri Paltan 43-34 at home on Wednesday. On the other hand, Pune's loss has made it even more difficult for them to reach the playoffs.
Jaipur captain Deepak Hooda and his namesake, Deepak Narwal amassed 12 and 11 points respectively for the hosts. Amit Hooda and Sandeep Dhull made a mark on the defensive front by bagging four points each.
From Pune, Pankaj Mohite had 14 points to his credit, all thanks to an impeccable game. Manjeet also pitched in a bunch of points for the Pune-based franchise.
Jaipur's Nilesh Salunke went for the inaugural raid and was immediately sent off the mat by Manjeet. A beautiful tackle by Amit Hooda on Nitin Tomar opened the account for the home team.
In the third minute, Pune's Surjeet Singh demanded a review for a mere bonus, which was declared unsuccessful in no time. Seven minutes into the intense clash, Jaipur led 9-4, with Deepak Hooda clearly on fire.
Pune conceded an unfortunate all-out in the ninth minute itself, which put the hot favourites in a 13-6 lead. From thereon, the pink army wore a different attitude and played with extreme confidence, hence impressing owner Abhishek Bachchan as well. The first half of the 107th match of PKL 2019 saw the score 20-13 tilted in Jaipur's direction.
Manjeet's running hand-touch on Vishal kickstarted the second half. Pune then announced their comeback by inflicting a mighty all-out on their rivals, which also reduced the score difference to just two points.
Young prodigy Sandeep Dhull then started showing signs of struggle whereas Amit Hooda kept producing a commendable game from the home side.
Despite the slow start, Dhull caught up and made an excellent comeback. With just four minutes remaining on the clock, an all-out greeted the visitors, soon after which, Deepak Narwal completed his first Super 10 of the season. Hooda and Pankaj Mohite brilliantly completed their own Super 10s as well.
Ultimately, the Jaipur Pink Panthers emerged triumphant with a 43-34 score and recorded their first win on their home turf this season. The team played as a complete unit, with both the raiders and the defenders pitching in points constantly.
Even though Puneri Paltan tried their level best to make a comeback throughout the encounter, they eventually fell short.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on Pro Kabaddi Schedule 2019, news, points table, Dream 11 Pro Kabaddi and fantasy tips.