Puneri Paltan produced a commanding performance to thrash U Mumba 40-22 in the Maharashtra Derby at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday.
As they strengthened their position at the top of the table, the Season 10 Champions put on a defensive clinic, scoring 20 tackle points, including six Super Tackles. While Gaurav Khatri and Abinesh Nadarajan each recorded four tackles, Gurdeep took the lead with a high five. With eight points, Stuwart Singh helped on the raiding end.
With tackles from Abinesh Nadarajan and Gurdeep, Puneri Paltan’s defense established the tone. Sachin Tanwar and Pankaj Mohite then registered raids to give their team an early four-point advantage. It was a two-point contest for U Mumba as Amirmohammad Zafardanesh opened the scoring on both ends of the court.
Sunil Kumar for U Mumba and Gaurav Khatri for the Paltan both scored their first goals as the defenses maintained their lead throughout this intense and combative match. The two sides were knotted at 5-5 at the end of the first quarter as Anil got off to a strong start on a Do-Or-Die raid but Aslam Inamdar was unable to match his performance.
Though it didn’t last long, Puneri Paltan gained some momentum and was able to take a four-point lead. Amirmohammad Zafardanesh’s two-point raid reduced the gap to one point. Rakesh Rajesh’s Super Tackle to keep Puneri Paltan’s four-point lead maintained the game’s tumultuous pace. The PKL 10 Champions led 15–10 at the end of the first half after a fierce tactical struggle that saw Do-Or-Die Raids flying in.
Early in the second half, Puneri Paltan increased their lead to seven points thanks to a Super Tackle from Vishal Bhardwaj. In order to keep his team ahead in this Maharashtra Derby, Abinesh Nadarajan followed that up with another Super Tackle.
As their opponents persisted in controlling the game’s tempo, U Mumba had no break. Since the Puneri Paltan were putting up a defensive masterclass and maintaining a commanding lead with the score at 23-15 going into the final quarter, it was challenging for them to gain points offensively.
With four tackles, Rinku kept U Mumba’s scoreboard moving, while Sandeep Kumar also contributed to keep the game within seven points. After receiving a bonus for his first point of the game, Aslam Inamdar scored a Super Tackle to give his team a ten-point advantage.
After Gurdeep gave him a high five, Gaurav Khatri made another outstanding tackle to give U Mumba an ALL OUT. Super-sub Stuwart Singh completed the thrashing and led Puneri Paltan to a 40–22 victory by adding the final touches with a Super Raid. He finished as his team’s top scorer.
