The action is not done though. Follow the reigning champions Patna Pirates take on Bengal Warriors with us by clicking here.
A great match to start off proceedings on the day (or night, depending on which part of the world you are in). Both the teams will now play their next match in Mumbai. Puneri Paltan face U Mumba in the derby on 20th July, where they have the chance to do a first ever double on their rivals, having beaten them for the first time ever early in the season. Jaipur Pink Panthers face an erratic Dabang Delhi on the very next day.
Puneri Paltan are still third in the table, but Jaipur Pink Panthers steer clear of Patna Pirates. The Pirates, however, can reclaim their top spot in the very next match, which you can follow here.
FT: Puneri Paltan 27-33 Jaipur Pink Panthers; Deepak Niwas Hooda ensures that his team win a point despite the loss with a 2-point buzzer raid. Mahipal Narwal had increased the gap to 8 points, but the 22-year-old made sure they get something out of the game. The Pink Panthers move to the top of the table with this win.
39’ Puneri Paltan 25-32 Jaipur Pink Panthers; A never say die attitude on display here by the Paltan as Ajay Thakur and Deepak Hooda return successfully from their raids. The win seems far away, but they are still giving their best. Great attitude.
38’ Puneri Paltan 23-32 Jaipur Pink Panthers; No loss of concentration for the Pink Panthers, though, as they increase their lead to 9 points in a matter of seconds. Time is fast running out for Manjeet Chhillar’s team.
37’ Puneri Paltan 23-30 Jaipur Pink Panthers; The timeout was taken by Jaipur Pink Panthers, but it is the Puneri Paltan who come roaring out through Deepak Niwas Hooda. The youngster puts the Paltan closer to Panthers’ score.
35’ Puneri Paltan 22-29 Jaipur Pink Panthers; It is still a 7-point game as both the teams’ defence comes to the fore. The raiders are finding it hard to get points and the Pink Panthers have slowed down the tempo of the match.
32’ Puneri Paltan 20-27 Jaipur Pink Panthers; “Game maari che,” Ajay Thakur seems to be singing (Not really!) as he wins 3 points for the Paltan in his last 2 raids. Still time for him to complete the comeback and truly make the game his own!
Final 10 minutes to go. Manjeet Chhillar and Nitin Tomar have been off-colour today. Will they be able to pull out a seemingly unlikely comeback?
30’ Puneri Paltan 17-27 Jaipur Pink Panthers; Does anyone remember when was the last time Ajay Kumar got caught in a do-or-die raid!? The young Jaipur Pink Panthers raider returns with 2 points from his foray in the Paltan half.
28’ Puneri Paltan 17-25 Jaipur Pink Panthers; Well, well, well. What do we have here? A mini-comeback by Puneri Paltan. 3 quick points for them and Jaipur are down to just 4 men. Their lead to 8.
ALL OUT! 25’ Puneri Paltan 14-25 Jaipur Pink Panthers; A second all out of the night for Pune as Sonu Narwal meets the immovable object Ran Singh. He does get the bonus, but Jaipur lead by 11 points!
25’ Puneri Paltan 13-22 Jaipur Pink Panthers; The kabaddi players surely hate me! SEVEN points in 5 raids. Deepak and Rajesh with 2 points each start the flow, which is continued by Rajesh, Ajay Thakur and Jasvir. The Paltan are on the verge of another all out as only Sonu Narwal remains on the mat.
22’ Puneri Paltan 10-18 Jaipur Pink Panthers; The dangerous do-or-die raid specialist Ajay Kumar is unsuccessful in his raid, but he doesn’t have to sit on the bench for long. Nitin Tomar, who has looked rusty today, gets caught a minute later. Nitin is playing in his first match and will probably take some time to get up to speed.
A deserved rest for both teams and both of my hands! This match went from 0-100 at the 12th minute mark and has kept it’s pace till the half. Great game to enjoy for the kabaddi fans. Not if you support Puneri Paltan.
HT: Puneri Paltan 9-17 Jaipur Pink Panthers; Ajay Thakur has 4 points for the Paltan, but the star of the half was definitely Jasvir Singh. His 5 points have helped Jaipur Pink Panthers move to the top of the table. But, there are still 20 minutes left to play. Patna Pirates fans will be donning their Puneri Paltan jersey as a loss for Jaipur will help them keep the top spot.
19’ Puneri Paltan 8-17 Jaipur Pink Panthers; Ajay Kumar with a 2-point return in a do-or-die raid extends Pink Panthers’ lead. This match has gone from a snail’s pace to a cheetah’s. Thankfully, my fingers can get a rest soon as half time is around the corner.
18’ Puneri Paltan 8-15 Jaipur Pink Panthers; Jasvir is sent to the bench after an unsuccessful raid. Only momentarily, though, as Paltan substitute and former Kolkata hero Nitin Tomar is tackled.
16’ Puneri Paltan 7-14 Jaipur Pink Panthers; Puneri Paltan’s struggle continues. Jasvir with a trademark scorpion kick gets a point before Ran Singh shows his strength and brings down Deepak Niwas Hooda, Undertaker style!
ALL OUT! 14’ Puneri Paltan 7-12 Jaipur Pink Panthers; The match has come alive and so has my tea, which spills all over the floor after coming to a boil. The maid is going to be pretty angry. Coming back to the match, Jasvir Singh got 2 points in his raid to reduce Pune to just 1 man – Ajay Thakur. The former Bengaluru Bulls star gets a bonus, but is no match for the opposition’s defence.
12’ Puneri Paltan 6-7 Jaipur Pink Panthers; Both the do or die raids go in Jaipur’s favour as Jasvir returns successfully from his raid before Deepak Hooda is sent to the bench by the enthusiastic Pink Panthers defence.
10’ Puneri Paltan 5-5 Jaipur Pink Panthers; After Jaipur went on a 3-point run through Jasvir and a solid defence that stopped former Pink Panthers’ raider Sonu Narwal, Ajay Thakur comes alive with a 2-point raid to restore parity. This game is simmering right now just like the tea I have on the stove. Both should go to boil very soon.
6’ Puneri Paltan 3-2 Jaipur Pink Panthers; Deepak Niwas Hooda and Rajesh Narwal open their accounts through raids. A point each for both teams despite their cautious approach.
4’ Puneri Paltan 2-1 Jaipur Pink Panthers; It has been a very slow start in the match. Just 3 points in the opening few minutes. The Paltan captain Manjeet with a double thigh hold on his compatriot Jasvir gives Pune the lead again.
2’ Puneri Paltan 1-0 Jaipur Pink Panthers; The Pink Panthers have won the toss and they invite Puneri Paltan to raid. Ajay Thakur and Jasvir Singh return from their raids empty handed. The Paltan captain is warned by the referee. Green card for Manjeet. But, joy for Pune as Shabeer Bappu is tackled.
Manjeet has shaken off his injury and is back in the starting 7 for Puneri Paltan! What an athlete!
Here is Jaipur Pink Panthers’ line-up as they look to take their top spot back:
In case, you want to follow the match in Hindi, read our awesome desi commentary here.
Puneri Paltan will probably be without their captain Manjeet Chhillar tonight, but in form raider Deepak Niwas Hooda is available! Jaipur Pink Panthers, on the other hand, will have their full strength squad. It is bound to be a cracker. Just an hour to go for the match! Nerves are kicking in as the crowd begins to pour in at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.
Are you ready for another day of exciting kabaddi action from Kolkata? Not in front of the TV? No problem, we’ve got you covered. LIVE commentary available here. Stay tuned for the top of the table clash between Puneri Paltan and Jaipur Pink Panthers.
Good evening friends and welcome to Sportskeeda’s live coverage of Pro Kabaddi 2016 Season 4 and the caravan has now moved to the City of Joy, Kolkata. Today we have for you two clashes, in the first of which Puneri Paltan will take on Jaipur Pink Panthers with both looking to make their cases stronger for a semi-final spot. The other match of the day, or evening rather, is between Bengal Warriors and table leaders Patna Pirates but that is for later, right now our attention is on the first game.
The match between Puneri Paltan and Jaipur Pink Panthers is going to be a highly intriguing clash, given how delicately poised both teams are on the points table. Puneri Paltan are currently third on the table with 29 points from 9 games and could topple their opponents, who are sitting pretty in second spot with 32 points but having played one game extra. A win for either would be massive and help steer away from mid table teams lurking on their feet.
Jaipur Pink Panthers come into this match on the back of a defeat at the hands of Bengal Warriors in a game that could be aptly described as a drubbing for the team from the Pink City. No one expected Bengal Warriors to beat Jaipur but Jang Kun Lee’s heroics and masterly tactics by coach Pratap Shetty ensured that the home side got a much needed win in their campaign.
This clash is absolutely crucial for Jaipur Pink Panthers as they will have only three fixtures remaining after this and losing would mean putting their fortunes in hands of other teams, luck and various permutations. Though Jaipur have been one of the better teams in Pro Kabaddi 2016 Season 4, they have shown a tendency of bottling up under pressure and while facing good sides like U Mumba and even Puneri Paltan, who beat them in the reverse fixture.
There is no dearth of quality in this side with players like Jasvir Singh, Rajesh Narwal and Shabeer Bapu along with a youngster like Ajay Kumar, who has been a revelation this season. Jaipur would like to make full use of Manjeet Chhillar’s absence from the game and it would give Jasvir Singh an advantage while raiding. They would also hope that Shabeer Bapu, who has been good in defence, comes into his own while attacking.
Puneri Paltan, on the other hand, have been the best side in the tournament after Patna Pirates and will be looking to put in yet another strong performance. Though this point has been over-emphasized on, Pune have done remarkably well for a team that is the only one not to play at home this season. They also come into this game on the back of a defeat at the hands of Telugu Titans by a slender margin of three points.
Although they were clearly missing Manjeet Chhillar in defence, Puneri Paltan played really well on the night and were undone by a brillant Rahul Chauhdari and an unstoppable Sandeep Narwal. Deepak Niwas Hooda has been a shining spot for the team from Maharashtra and he will be looking to continue his good run in the tournament while Ajay Thakur would be required bring in his experience.
