PKL 11: Bhavani Rajput excels as UP Yoddhas break Jaipur Pink Panthers’ hearts to reach semis
Pune: Bhavani Rajput was in brilliant form as he helped UP Yoddhas dominate Jaipur Pink Panthers 48-18 in a one-sided affair in Eliminator 1 to kick start the Playoff rounds of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 and sealed a place in the semifinals at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here on Thursday. The UP Yoddhas produced a scintillating display of kabaddi, with Bhavani Rajput (12 points) and Hitesh with High-5 playing the starring roles. The UP Yoddhas will now face the Haryana Steelers in semifinal 1 on Friday.
Both Jaipur Pink Panthers and UP Yoddhas took time to get going as they made a cautious start to the Playoff stage. While all eyes were on Jaipur Pink Panthers’ Arjun Deshwal in the early exchanges, the duo of Bhavani Rajput and Bharat put the UP Yoddhas out in front. It took the UP Yoddhas just seven minutes to land their first All Out of the match, which propelled them into a six-point lead.
The UP Yoddhas’ superb start saw them pick up a nine-point lead within the first 10 minutes, which left the Jaipur Pink Panthers on the back foot. The dominance continued as the half wore on. Bhavani Rajput was leading the way in attack while the defenders were giving him a solid platform.
The UP Yoddhas defence seemed impregnable with Hitesh, Sumit, and Mahender Singh holding fort. And with just over a minute to go in the first half, the UP Yoddhas’ defence landed a second All Out. At the half-time break, the UP Yoddhas led 23-8. The UP Yoddhas held onto the momentum in the early phases of the second half as well, as they built on their lead, making it tougher for the Jaipur Pink Panthers. Within the first few minutes, Bhavani Rajput completed his Super 10, whilst Hitesh, Sumit, and Gagan Gowda too were raking in the points.
Jaipur Pink Panthers looked deflated, as their raiders weren’t able to get going, and the defenders were under quite a bit of pressure. At the half-hour mark, the Jaipur Pink Panthers were 26 points behind. A third All Out from the UP Yoddhas piled on the misery on the Jaipur Pink Panthers. The Season 9 champions had a few good moments after that, but the UP Yoddhas were too strong on the day and romped over the line, and into the semifinals, where they will face the Haryana Steelers.