Pro Kabaddi League: Patna Pirates Reach Eliminator 2 With Commanding Win Over Pink Panthers

Patna Pirates continued their sensational run with a commanding 48-32 win over Jaipur Pink Panthers in Eliminator 1 to reach Eliminator 2 of the Pro Kabaddi League in New Delhi on Sunday.

Ayan Lohchab led the way with his fifth 20-plus points – a feat only achieved by Pardeep Narwal and Devank Dalal in the PKL – while Navdeep delivered a 'High Five'.

For the Pink Panthers, Ali Samadi registered a 'Super 10'.

Ayan made his presence felt with a two-point raid, and it only took his side five minutes to inflict their first 'All Out'.

With a seven-point deficit, tackles from Vinay and Reza Mirbagheri along with Ali Samadi's raid helped the Pink Panthers stay in the game.

However, Ayan and Milan Dahiya kept the scoreboard ticking with Ankit Jaglan also registering his second tackle, keeping the Pirates in a 13-6 lead after the first 10 minutes.

They further asserted their dominance with a second 'All Out' in the 14th minute, courtesy a tackle from Navdeep.

To make matters worse for the two-time champions, the Pirates raiders also piled on the pressure with Ayan completing his Super 10 and Milan Dahiya inflicting a third 'All Out' at the stroke of half time, giving their team a massive 17-point lead (30-13) at the break.

The Pink Panthers came flying off the blocks at the start of the second half. Ali Samadi found his groove, while their defence stepped up with Deepanshu Khatri and Aryan Kumar taking the score to 30-18. They contributed with a couple of tackles, while Vinay also chipped in to bring the deficit down to ten points heading into the final quarter.

Aryan Kumar’s third tackle of the night brought the deficit down to eight points, before a tackle from Navdeep helped the Pirates regain their double-digit lead. The defender also completed his High Five, ensuring that his team stayed in the driver’s seat. However, Ali Samadi continued to fight for the Pink Panthers, keeping them in the game with the score at 39-28.

With less than four minutes to go, Ayan delivered the decisive blow on a Do-Or-Die Raid, getting two-points to establish a 41-29 advantage. He also climbed to the top of the charts for the most raid points in PKL 12 (275), registering his fifth twenty-point game of PKL 12 and helping the Pirates execute a fourth ALL OUT to complete a thumping 48-32 victory.

Patna Pirates will face Bengaluru Bulls in Eliminator 2.