PKL: Jaipur Pink Panthers decimate Telugu Titans to improve Playoff chances
Feb 16, 2022
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 16 : Arjun Deshwal was the star for Jaipur Pink Panthers as they thrashed Telugu Titans 54-35 in Match 123 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 8.
The young raider scored 14 points as the Panthers clinched an important win in their race for a Playoff spot. They find themselves in the 5th position (Top 6 qualifies) with 1 match remaining in the league stages.
That encounter won't be easy however with Puneri Paltan also eyeing a spot in the eliminators. The Titans had another disappointing outing and remain with just 1 win in the entire tournament.
Jaipur needed a win to remain firmly in the race for a Playoff spot and they played like a team on a mission. Their star raider Arjun Deshwal was in good form as he picked up points easily from a Titans defence missing Sandeep Kandola. They were aided by a few mistakes in the Titans defence who went out of bounds on multiple occasions.
The Panthers picked up their first ALL OUT in the 14th minute to open a healthy lead. A 3-point Super Raid by Ankit Beniwal in the 16th minute briefly gave the Titans some hope of a comeback but the fire was immediately doused by Arjun Deshwal who got a 3-point Super Raid for Jaipur. The scores were 23-11 at the interval with the Panthers preying on another ALL OUT.
The Jaipur defence also stepped up their game in the second half. The Titans were attacked from both sides as they succumbed to another ALL OUT in the 3rd minute after the restart.
Arjun Deshwal picked his Super 10 as the Panthers raced to a 13-point lead. The Playoff spot certainly motivated the Panthers as they clinched their third ALL OUT with 13 minutes remaining to make it a 22-point lead.
Jaipur slowed the pace of the match which allowed Titans' Galla Raju to fetch a few points. Panthers' Brijendra Singh fought his level best, but Adarsh T also joined the attack for Titans to help them finally inflict an ALL OUT with under 3 minutes remaining.
Substitute Ashok produced a 3-point Super Raid in the final move of the match to give Jaipur a memorable win. They will now be looking to beat Pune in their final match of the league stages.
