The 4th leg of Pro Kabaddi Season 4 would be remembered for what could be termed as the shock of the tournament as home team Patna Pirates were handed their first ever loss of this edition by lowly Dabang Delhi. We are now at the midway of the league stage of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi Season 4 and despite two losses at home, the Pirates sit at the top.
It started well for last season’s winners as they handed Bengaluru Bulls a 31-25 loss. The game was neck and neck till the 33rd minute before the home team moved up a gear and established a healthy lead, which they held on to till the end. Rohit Kumar’s 9-point haul went in vain as Kuldeep Singh and Pardeep Narwal inspired the home team to their 4th consecutive win.
The first match on the second day of the Patna Leg saw a rematch of the Season 2 final as U Mumba edged past Bengaluru Bulls 24-23. The match will be remembered for the return to form of captain Anup Kumar, who top scored with 11 points. Fans will also remember the sensational last-ditch tackle by Surjeet which halted Rohit and helped the 3-time finalists move to the top spot in the table.
The home team thrashed an off-colour Bengal Warriors 35-21 right after this nerve-racking encounter. Dharmaraj Cheralathan scored a season-high 9 tackle points, which also included a super tackle, while Pardeep wreaked havoc with his raids, that earned him 10 points to leave the Warriors licking their wounds.
The third day began with yet another loss for Bengal Warriors as they went down 31-38 to the mighty Puneri Paltan. Nitin Madane (12 points) was the only one who put up a fight for the team from the city of joy. Manjeet Chhillar, with an all-round display, ensured his team climbed the summit of the table, albeit for a little time, with their 4th win of the season.
In an extremely surprising result, which highlighted the competitiveness of the league, the Eagles absolutely outplayed Patna Pirates to close out a 33-15 win. Sachin Shingade and Meraj Sheykh stunned the crowd gathered at the Patliputra Sports Complex and derailed the seemingly invincible Patna Pirates’ march.
The final day began with Telugu Titans bringing Dabang Delhi back to reality as by moving above the Eagles with a 28-23 victory. In a match where both the defences shined, Sandeep Dhull’s 6 tackle points ultimately proved pivotal. Sachin Shingade matched Dhull’s tally, but was unable to prevent his team from slipping to their 4th loss this season.
Jaipur Pink Panthers proved that lightning can strike twice by edging past Patna Pirates 26-21. Following the blueprint set by the Dabangs, the Pink Panthers concentrated on their defence and never let go off the lead they took in the 7th minute. Shabeer Bappu doubled up as a defender and, along with Amit Hooda, completed a high 5. Fazel Atrachali’s and Bajirao Hodage’s efforts made sure that the Pirates bag a point due to their narrow loss and lead the table at the halfway stage.
After 4 closely-contested legs, the top 3 sides are separated by just 1 point while U Mumba complete the top 4, 2 points behind third-placed Jaipur Pink Panthers. Bengaluru Bulls, who will host the next leg, come in at 5th while Telugu Titans and Dabang Delhi have steered clear of bottom-placed Bengal Warriors.
