PKL 11: Arjun Deshwal’s 17 points keep Jaipur Pink Panthers’ playoff hopes alive
Pune: Arjun Deshwal came up with another brilliant performance as Jaipur Pink Panthers secured an important win against Bengaluru Bulls to keep their playoff hopes alive, surging to a 35-26 victory in a Season 11 match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Badminton Hall in the Balewadi Sports Complex on Tuesday.
Deshwal carried on his sensational run of form with a massive 17-point game, helping his side to its third consecutive win as the battle for the playoff remained boiling. The win moved the Jaipur Pink Panthers up to fifth on the points table, while Arjun Deshwal also achieved the 200-raid points milestone in the season.
It was an action-packed start to the game as the raiders, Pardeep Narwal and Deshwal wasted no time to get their respective sides on the board. The latter ensured that Jaipur Pink Panthers took the lead with his two-point raid, as he did most of the heavy lifting for his side on the attacking end in the early exchanges.
Ajinkya Pawar helped the Bengaluru Bulls stay within striking distance with his raiding efficiency on the mat. With the tempo of the game intensifying, only two points were separating the two sides after 10 minutes, with the score at 7-9. Nitin Rawal got himself into the mix to help his side close the gap and level the score at 10-10 before Jaipur Pink Panthers quickly regained their two-point lead.
To close out the first half, the two teams resorted to the Do-Or-Die strategy, which helped the season 10 champions drive home the advantage. With Arjun Deshwal continuing to do what he does best, the Jaipur Pink Panthers further increased their lead to four points, closing out the first half with the scoreline at 15-11.
Bengaluru Bulls roared right back at the start of the second half with Arulnanthababu getting a Super Tackle on Neeraj Narwal. Alongside Ajinkya Pawar, he then helped his side level the score at 15-15 with a crucial tackle on Arjun Deshwal. The trend of Do-Or-Die Raids carried on in the second half too, with neither team keen to give an inch.
The raid machine, Arjun Deshwal completed another Super 10, executing a stunning Super Raid to give his side a four-point lead as the game entered its final phase. To make matters worse for Bengaluru Bulls at that point, Jaipur Pink Panthers inflicted an All Out to extend their lead to seven points.
With momentum on their side, Jaipur Pink Panthers piled on the misery of their opposition. With under two minutes remaining, Bengaluru Bulls had something to smile about as Arulnanthababu showed some character with another Super Tackle, completing his High 5.
However, it was nowhere near enough for them to rescue something from the game as Jaipur Pink Panthers completed a 35-26 victory, moving to fifth place in the points table.