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Tuesday's first Pro Kabaddi League encounter saw the Puneri Paltan destroy the Haryana Steelers 37-25 as the Maharashtra outfit produced a thoroughly dominating performance and registered their eighth win in eleven matches.
Patna Pirates outplayed a hapless Bengaluru Bulls in the second game and in doing so, they moved to the top of the points table in Zone B. Pardeep Narwal and Monu Goyat took turns to cut open Bengaluru's lethargic defense as their side remains unbeaten at home.
Here are the major talking points from Tuesday's matches.
#1 The rise of a new star? Pune's Monu
The duel between Puneri Paltan and Haryana Steelers had massive implications. Despite playing five matches lesser than Haryana, the Paltan had already registered the same number of wins as the Steelers.
Against this intriguing backdrop, a relatively unknown all-rounder from Pune made his mark. Monu has now been part of 8 out of the 11 matches that Pune have played so far and on Tuesday, his skills were omnipresent. He scored the first raid point of the match inside the first ten seconds and carried out his defending responsibilities with military precision.
For a youngster playing in his debut season, Monu displayed confidence and maturity beyond his years. Fearless, he went all guns blazing and his approach paid handsome dividends.
#2 Sandeep Narwal breaches 200 raid point mark
From Patna Pirates to the Telugu Titans and now at Puneri Paltan, Sandeep Narwal has only grown in stature.
Irrespective of the team, Narwal has always given it his all. One of the few irreplaceable all-rounders in the league, Sandeep continues to improve at a rapid pace. Still only 24, one can only wonder the heights he can possibly reach in the coming years.
He was duly rewarded his 200th raid point of Pro Kabaddi League on Tuesday. In doing so, Sandeep has firmly cemented himself as one of if not the best all rounder in the league. He topped the night with seven tackle points, leading by example.
#3 Haryana's coach continues to baffle with team selection
Ranbir Singh Khokhar is regarded as one of the most decorated coaches in the league. Despite all the experience, Singh continues to baffle us with his decision-making.
On Tuesday, he once again decided to 'rest' the two pillars of his Haryana side -- Captain Surender Nada and Mohit Chhillar. Having played the most number of matches in Zone A, the Steelers are not exactly in a safe position and a playoff spot is by no means guaranteed.
Yet, for the second time in a row, the coach decided to bench two of the best players in his team. Apart from their individual impact, Nada and Chhillar instill a sense of fear in the opposition, something that's very hard to come by. Singh's decision backfired on him and understandably so as Pune looked comfortable all night long.
#4 Pardeep torments the team and coach that made him
Pardeep Narwal is widely regarded as Patna's very own but it's easy to forget that it was Bengaluru Bulls coach Randhir Singh who gave him his Pro Kabaddi League break in Season 2.
While the world wasn't aware, Singh always knew he had a gem in his hands but he couldn't stop Patna from swooping him up in Season 3. Ever since, Pardeep has transformed himself into a baby-faced monster who displays no remorse in his ruthless approach. Not even Randhir would have expected Pardeep to reach such stratospheric heights so early in his career.
Against Bengaluru, Narwal had a stroll in the park as he kept chipping away with raid points every time he entered the opposition mat. It was far too easy for Patna's star raider who didn't break a sweat against an utterly disappointing Bulls outfit. He scored his 200th raid point of the season against his former team.
#5 Bengaluru still in reckoning for a playoff spot
It may be hard to believe but despite their consistently poor performances, Bengaluru Bulls still have a very good chance of making it to the playoffs this season. Having suffered 9 losses in 15 games, one would have expected them to be out of the reckoning.
But Zone B continues to throw major surprises. The Bulls currently lie in fifth position with 32 points from their 15 games. Third-placed UP Yoddha who have played the same number of matches are in touching distance. They have just six more points which means, there is still everything to play for in Zone B.
With seven games left to play, it's now make-or-break for Bengaluru who will have to dig deep and conjure up a handful of positive results to have a chance of qualifying.
