Star Sports Pro Kabaddi: 5 talking points from the Jaipur leg
Four electrifying days of action came to an end yesterday at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, and the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi Season 3 now moves on to the penultimate leg at Delhi.Despite the fact that the spectators were left disappointed to see the hosts Jaipur Pink Panthers look totally off-colour for most of their home sojourn, the high-quality performances by the other teams would have definitely helped them enjoy the thrills of the sport. Defending champions U Mumba continued their late flourish as they notched up their fifth win on the trot, while Puneri Paltan strengthened their bid for a semi-final place with a couple of strong showings.But one franchise that has remained rooted to their spot in the league table is the most dominant team of 2016 Patna Pirates. Sanjiv Kumar Baliyans men roared back to a dazzling win after suffering their only defeat of the season, at Patna.Here are the 5 talking points from the Jaipur leg:
#1 Patna Pirates qualify for the semis
If the Patna Pirates’ rivals had hoped for the table toppers to lose further steam after their incredible loss against the defending champions U Mumba, they were in for a disappointment. The Pirates bounced back in style, showing that the collapse was only a minor aberration.
They thoroughly decimated the 2014 champions Jaipur Pink Panthers on the final day of the leg, registering a massive 47-24 triumph. With a spectacular show of aggression combined with solid defence, the Pirates proved to be several notches better than the hosts in every department, who looked absolutely clueless.
Rohit Kumar was once again Patna’s shining star, as he grabbed a whopping 14 points himself. Sandeep Narwal manned the Patna box with efficiency and was ably supported by Hadi Oshtorak; the backline pulverized the Jaipur raiders, inflicting 4 all-outs on their opponents.
With 9 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws, the Pirates became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals.