Pink Panthers beats Paltan in final, ends wait with 2nd PKL title

MUMBAI: History repeated itself at the Dome, NSCI SVP Stadium, in Mumbai.

It was at this very venue in 2014 that Jaipur Pink Panthers had clinched the inaugural Pro Kabaddi League title. At what can now be termed as its happy hunting ground, Jaipur ended an eight-year wait as it secured its second Pro Kabaddi crown with a 33-29 victory over first-time finalist Puneri Paltan in the Season 9 summit contest on Saturday.

Both teams – they deserved to be in the final after finishing top-two at the conclusion of the double round-robin stage – fought tooth and nail for every point, but Pink Panthers was marginally better on the night. Jaipur inflicted the first and only ‘All Out’ in the first minute of the second half, after which it controlled the pace of the match.

Sunil leads from the front

A couple of days before the title decider, Jaipur skipper and cover defender Sunil Kumar stressed on the importance of him staying active on the mat for the majority of the match.

It looked like Sunil (6 points – 5 tackle points and 1 raid point) saved his best for the last as he delivered a captain’s performance with a ‘High 5’. What made his effort all the more remarkable was the fact that he did not make even one unsuccessful tackle – yes, you read that right. With Pink Panthers head coach Sanjeev Baliyan opting for a 2-5 formation instead of the usual 3-4, Sunil played the role of the tertiary raider and even earned a touch point.

Besides Sunil, raiders V Ajith Kumar (6 raid points) and Arjun Deshwal (6 raid points) contributed heavily for their team’s ultimate success. While Ajith was by far the best raider of the first half despite getting tackled a few times, Arjun stepped on the gas in the second.

Speaking after the finale, Ajith said that he sensed the team could achieve glory at the end of the Bengaluru leg (first of three legs in the league stage). “We worked together and our coordination was top-notch. Every member in our squad contributed to this victory. I cannot describe my feeling in words,” Ajith told reporters in the mixed zone.

Close contest throughout

There was hardly anything to separate the teams at the change of ends, when Jaipur held a slender two-point lead at 14-12.

But, Pink Panthers set the base for effecting an ‘All Out’, which happened in the 21st minute. Courtesy of the clean sweep, Jaipur had some breathing space – a cushion of five points at 18-13 – that lasted only for a minute or so. Paltan reduced the deficit to one point, only for Pink Panthers to widen the gap again.

With seven minutes remaining on the clock, Jaipur was ahead by four (26-22) points and hence slowed down the pace of the match. A ‘Super Tackle’ and a two-point raid kept PP alive, but JPP saw out the match to add another trophy to its cabinet.

RESULT: Final: Jaipur Pink Panthers 33 bt Puneri Paltan 29