Shadloui and Gaurav guide Puneri Paltan to nail-biting 29-26 win over Tamil Thalaivas
Puneri Paltan defeated Tamil Thalaivas in a thrilling match to win 29-26 in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 match
New Delhi: Puneri Paltan defeated Tamil Thalaivas in a thrilling match to win 29-26 in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 match at the DOME by NSCI in Mumbai on Sunday. Mohammadreza Chiyaneh Shadloui (5 tackle points and 3 raid points) and Gaurav Khatri (6 tackle points) were Puneri Paltan’s best players, while Tamil Thalaivas’ skipper Sagar (7 tackle points) was their star player.
The first twenty minutes witnessed a see-saw battle between the two teams. Narender gave Tamil Thalaivas a dream start as he scalped a SUPER RAID to start the match and Puneri Paltan was immediately forced onto the back foot. As the half progressed, both teams traded leads and neither could take control of proceedings as they both adopted a defensive approach.
A strategic first half ended with Puneri Paltan leading 12-11. It was the lowest number of points the team had scored all season.
Tamil Thalaivas started the half with a SUPER TACKLE as Sagar and Himanshu trapped Mohit Goyat. However, that didn’t stop Puneri Paltan from sailing ahead as Aslam Inamdar gained the upper hand over Sagar and inflicted the first ALL OUT of the match. The table toppers had a narrow lead at 17-16 in the 24th minute.
On the next attack, Shadloui escaped with a SUPER RAID as he tagged two defenders and took a bonus point. With Narender unable to score the big points, Tamil Thalaivas relied on their defense for points and a fine tackle from skipper Sagar on Pankaj Mohite saw him complete a High 5. Then it was Shadloui’s turn to do the same when he stopped Narender with a rock. – holding on tight to claim his 5th tackle point in the 28th minute.
Tamil Thalaivas made a stunning comeback in the final stages of the game. Two SUPER TACKLES – from M. Abishek and Sagar – left Tamil Thalaivas only 3 points behind in the 36th minute. And then a 3rd SUPER TACKLE from Nitesh Kumar in the 38th minute reduced the deficit to just 1 point.
It all came down to the final attack, with the Tamil Thalaivas playing with three men and Puneri Paltan having a do-or-die attack. Aslam chased down and claimed a touch on Nitesh, but the on-field umpires ruled in favor of Tamil Thalaivas and awarded them 2 points. That meant the score remained tied at 28-28. However, Puneri Paltan reviewed the decision and the TV referee overturned the decision as Aslam and the team capped off a nail-biting match by taking their 7th win on the trot.