Pro Kabaddi League 2018, Match 28: Puneri Paltan vs Bengaluru Bulls, Player Ratings
The weekend action continued in the Pro Kabaddi League 2018 Season 6 as the home side Puneri Paltan hosted their South Indian counterparts Bengaluru Bulls at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, Maharashtra.
The first match of the night saw the Dabang Delhi KC put on a strong defensive performance against Bengal Warriors as they won 39-30, handing the Warriors their first loss this season.
The home team came into the match in high spirits after a close win over their perennial rivals U Mumba on Saturday night. The Puneri Paltan defence came through on the night, led by their skipper Girish Maruti Ernak, and their star man Nitin Tomar was in good form as well with his raiding points proving crucial for the team in the end.
The all-rounder Monu also was a helpful presence on the mat, scoring key points whenever Tomar was not available for the side. GB More came off the bench to score a crucial Super Raid in the second half and hoped to play a vital role on Sunday night as well.
The Bengaluru Bulls had won their previous encounter against the Tamil Thalaivas in a strong all-round performance in Sonepat, Haryana. The two raiders Pawan Kumar Sehrawat and Kashiling Adake were in good form as their captain Rohit Kumar has not yet made his mark this season with his raiding and has been limited in his raiding frequency. The defence has also done well with the likes of Ashish Kumar Sangwan and Mahender Singh manning the fort for the Bulls.
Puneri Paltan held their nerves in the end and handed the Bengaluru Bulls their first defeat this season, winning with a 27-25 scoreline.
Here are the Player Ratings for the Puneri Paltan vs Bengaluru Bulls clash:
Puneri Paltan
Girish Maruti Ernak - (4/10)
The Puneri Paltan captain had a rare off night in terms of tackle points on the mat but he led the team well as they recovered from being down in the first half to clinch the win.
Ravi Kumar - (6.5/10)
The cover defender was strong on Sunday night in the Puneri Paltan defence as he put in good blocks and dashes in the second half of the match. His efforts paved the way for the Puneri Paltan in the final five minutes of the match.
Rinku Narwal - (6.5/10)
The left corner defender for the Puneri Paltan started out poorly in the first half as he gave away a few easy raid points. However, he looked in good touch in the second half as he locked in a couple of ankle holds and combined well with Ravi Kumar.
Nitin Tomar - (5/10)
The star man for the Puneri Paltan team had a quiet night as he struggled to get going against the stubborn Bengaluru Bulls defence. He ended up with just three raid points, unlike his usual Super 10 scoring spree this season.
Monu - (7/10)
The utility all-rounder was the second highest scorer on the mat for the Puneri Paltan as he did well in both attack and defence for the team.
Shubham Shinde - (6/10)
The right corner for the Puneri Paltan had a tough time to get going in the first half of the match. He started the second with a strong Super Tackle on Pawan Kumar Sehrawat with a superb dash.
Rajesh Mondal - (3/10)
The experienced defender struggled to score raid points on the mat and ended up with just one raid point in the entire match.
Substitutes:
Akshay Jadhav - (8/10)
The all-rounder came on as a substitute in the second half of the match and had an immediate impact as he score five raid points in the match. He ended as the top scorer for the Puneri Paltan on Sunday night.
GB More - (3/10)
The raider came on off the bench and managed to get a bonus point in his only raid attempt in the match.