Pro Kabaddi League 2018: Top 5 raiders from the Patna leg
Defending Pro Kabaddi League champions Patna Pirates concluded their home leg on a high as they registered a thrilling 29-27 win over their opponents from the second qualifier last season, the Bengal Warriors, and in the process also halted the spate of losses in front of the home crowd at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna.
The Pirates got their home leg off to a fantastic start with a dominating 41-30 win over the Pink Panthers but were soon hit by a roadblock as they nose-dived for the next four matches, losing four games in a row, including a 32-53 decimation at the hands of the Telugu Titans.
In a game that saw Rahul Chaudhari pick up 17 raid points, Pardeep Narwal picked up a wrist injury that affected a drop in his performance after which none of the other Patna raiders could step up to the plate.
In a bid to end their home campaign on a high, a Pardeep Narwal-less Pirates line-up appeared a hungry bunch and under the tutelage of Jaideep, who picked up a 'High-5', put the Bengal Warriors under the pump and carried their momentum all the way into the final minute, where they held their nerve to reign supreme.
All through the Patna leg, there were some impressive performances which stood out from the raiding front. Here are the top five raiders from the Patna leg.
#5 Sachin Tanwar - Gujarat Fortunegiants
Sachin Tanwar's season until the Patna leg had come under the scanner, owing to the fact that the Fortunegiants' lead raider had failed to pick up a single 'Super-10' to his credit until he came across the Tamil Thalaivas.
Against the likes of Manjeet Chhillar and Sunil, Sachin took the onus to bring home the points and collected his first 'Super-10' of the season as he picked up 11 raid points from 14 raids and kept the scoreboard ticking.
In the next assignment against a power-packed defensive setup of the Puneri Paltan, Sachin was posed with a difficult task of raiding but stood tall and picked up his second 'Super-10' of the season to end the Patna leg with 21 raid points from two matches.