NEW DELHI, OCT 23
Jaipur Pink Panthers captain Arjun Deshwal put in a superb performance, leading by example as he scored 19 points in the match, helping his team thrash Telugu Titans by a scoreline of 52-22 in a Season 11 clash in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the GMCB Indoor Stadium, in Gachibowli here on Tuesday. This is the second consecutive win for Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 11.
Telugu Titans skipper Pawan Sehrawat and Jaipur Pink Panthers’ captain Arjun Deshwal were the first ones to get on the scoreboard. After that, both teams followed their captains’ lead and continued to trade points through the first phase of the first half. It started as a close battle, and much to the joy of the Hyderabad crowd, after the first 10 minutes, the Telugu Titans led by two points, with the skipper doing most of the heavy lifting.
Deshwal was matching his opposite number point for point as the first half wore on, but the Telugu Titans found a way to keep their noses out in front. Telugu Titans Vijay Malik and Ashish Narwal were giving Pawan Sehrawat very good support before Abhijeet Malik’s Super Raid put the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the box seat. Right after, Deshwal inflicted an All Out on the Telugu Titans, and the Jaipur Pink Panthers went on to end the first half with the scoreline at 18-13 in their favour.
The second half saw both sides take a cautious approach at the beginning. The Telugu Titans were looking to reduce the deficit, while the Jaipur Pink Panthers had their eyes on extending the lead. Jaipur Pink Panthers’ captain Arjun Deshwal was in fine form and had completed his Super 10 as well.
Reza Mirbagheri inflicted an All Out on the Telugu Titans midway through the second half which further extended the Jaipur Pink Panthers’ lead. With just under 10 minutes to go in the game, the Jaipur Pink Panthers led by 16 points and were in control of proceedings. As the game moved into the final phase, defender Ankush Rathee thwarted any hopes of a comeback when he inflicted an All Out on the Telugu Titans. After that, Lucky Sharma followed suit with another All Out on the Telugu Titans. Eventually, the Jaipur Pink Panthers came away with a massive 30-point win.
