"The team looks completely different with Nitin around" - Fans react as Jaipur Pink Panthers keep playoffs hopes alive in Pro Kabaddi 2025

Jaipur Pink Panthers kept their playoffs hopes alive with a big win over UP Yoddhas in Pro Kabaddi 2025. They beat the Yoddhas 42-29 on Friday, October 17.

Nitin Kumar Dhankar returned to the side after being away due to injury. He proved his worth right away with a Super 10. Nitin picked up 11 raid points. Iranian star Ali Samadi also continued his impressive run for the Jaipur Pink Panthers. He scored a Super 10 as well, picking up 12 raid points.

The likes of Reza Mirbagheri, Parvinder, and Aryan Kumar also made key contributions in an all-round effort. For the Yoddhas, Surender Gill was finally given an opportunity and made the most of it. He picked up 12 raid points. Guman Singh scored six raid points, but Gagan Gowda failed to get going with just 2 raid points.

Fans reacted on X after the game between the Jaipur Pink Panthers and UP Yoddhas.

"The team looks completely different with Nitin around, and has become our most important player. Fantastic and much needed win," a fan wrote.

UP Yoddhas now have 12 points from 17 matches. With just one league game remaining for them, their chances of making the playoffs appear slim.

Can Jaipur Pink Panthers make the top four?

Jaipur Pink Panthers ended their four-match losing streak with a massive win over the UP Yoddhas. It was a crucial victory to remain in the hunt to finish in the top eight.

They are currently seventh with 14 points from 15 matches with a score difference of -40. While they are undoubtedly in the race to qualify, it seems difficult for them to secure a spot in the top four.

The Panthers will have to win all of their remaining games to get to 20 points. However, the Telugu Titans, Bengaluru Bulls, Haryana Steelers, and U Mumba have 16 points with three games each remaining. Should all the teams even win two out of their three games, the Panthers will not be able to finish in the top four, given their score difference.

They will face Bengal Warriorz, U Mumba, and Patna Pirates in their remaining league stage fixtures.

About the author

Rishabh is an Indian Sports writer at Sportskeeda who covers Kabaddi, Hockey, Indian football and Olympic sports for the website. He has an overall experience of around 3 years and has worked with My Khel in the past along with interning at The News Minute, Times Network and Deccan Herald.

Rishabh has done MA in Media and Communication Studies. He also worked in Sportskeeda’s Comms team and won the ‘Commentator of the Month’ award twice. He covered the Pro Kabbadi League and two of his articles were also featured on Jaipur Pink Panthers’ official website.

Rishabh started following sports after 2020 Olympics and also after his experience of watching Bengaluru FC at the Kanteerava Stadium in the ISL between 2019 and 2023. His favorite athlete is Neeraj Chopra as he’s brought a revolution in Indian sports. His historic gold medal win at the 2020 Olympics left a lasting impact on Rishabh.

He strives to ensure that his articles are accurate and he verifies information from multiple credible sources. When not working, he likes playing badminton and football.

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Edited by Rishab Vm