Pro Kabaddi 2019, Puneri Paltan vs Bengaluru Bulls: Pankaj Mohite's superb display helps Pune clinch the victory
Puneri Paltan emerged victorious against the Bengaluru Bulls in the 99th battle of Pro Kabaddi 2019, which was also their last match at home. The win helped them move up to the eighth spot on the points table.
Pankaj Mohite was undoubtedly the most valuable player of the night, given he garnered a mind-blowing sum of 17 raid points in 28 attempts. Surjeet Singh and Sagar Krishna, with High 5s each, also contributed heavily for the Pune-based franchise.
Both Rohit Kumar and Pawan Sehrawat tried their hardest to help the Bulls but in vain. However, they collected 14 and 12 points respectively, despite their team's loss.
Manjeet started for Pune and was quickly sent off the mat by Mahender Singh's impressive dash. Pankaj Mohite, the young prodigy, opened the account for the home team with a brilliant hand touch.
Five minutes into the highly-anticipated clash, Pune led 7-5, all thanks to Mohite's seamless Super Raid. Surprisingly enough, the defending champions conceded an unfortunate all-out in the sixth minute itself, which put them four points behind the hot favourites.
A top-class Super Raid by the Bulls' skipper Rohit Kumar retained Pawan Sehrawat after a long time. Having performed immaculate dubkis on multiple occasions, Pankaj Mohite was on fire.
Surjeet Singh, the captain of Pune, completed his High 5 with sheer excellence in the first half itself. Following his footsteps, Mohite also successfully reached the Super 10 mark.
The first half came to an end with Pune leading 20-15. The second half kicked off with Rohit Kumar picking up a point for his squad. The Bulls were in trouble as Sehrawat was kept mum throughout by the opponents. The defense also made quite a few unnecessary errors.
The Bengaluru-based franchise demanded a review in the 24th minute for a mere bonus which was declared futile by the umpires. Three consecutive Super Tackles by Pune made the packed stadium go bonkers.
With six minutes remaining on the clock, Pune led 38-27. The hosts claimed their review in the 35th minute which was deemed successful. Eventually, the dreaded all-out greeted the orange-white-clad men despite Mohite's brilliant efforts to dodge it away.
The encounter ultimately came to an end as the Puneri Paltan defeated Bengaluru Bulls 42-38. A wonderful team effort, combined with the massive home support, did wonders for Pune. On the other hand, both Pawan Sehrawat and Rohit Kumar got no support from their squad and hence their team ended up on the losing side.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on Pro Kabaddi Points Table 2019, news, schedule, Pro Kabaddi Results, and fantasy tips.