After pulling off an incredible comeback to defeat Telugu Titans 50–45 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, Puneri Paltan secured their spot in the PKL 12 final. The season 10 champions will play Dabang Delhi KC on Friday in their third final in four years.
Aditya Shinde (21 points) and Pankaj Mohite (10 points) both scored Super 10s in an intense match that was dominated by the raiders. Bharat Hooda (22 points) and Vijay Malik (10 points) also earned Super 10s, but the Titans’ efforts were in vain.
Before Bharat Hooda scored the first raid point for the Telugu Titans, Aslam Inamdar started the game. With tackles from Ankit and Chetan Sahu, the Titans quickly established their dominance in the match. Bharat Hooda’s flawless Super Raid allowed his team inflict the first ALL OUT of the game, giving them a 10-1 lead, despite the Paltan having just three players on the mat.
Puneri Paltan responded quickly to the early pressure, with Mohd Amaan recording a tackle and Pankaj Mohite scoring two raids. Despite attacks by Aslam and Aditya Shinde, Ankit’s Super Tackle kept the Telugu Titans ahead by six points, maintaining a 13-7 advantage after the first ten minutes.
The raids coming in from both sides increased the intensity of this crucial match. The Paltan were able to get their first ALL OUT and reduce the gap to four points thanks to Pankaj’s excellent momentum. With 14 points in the first half, Bharat Hooda finished his Super 10 for the Titans. At halftime, the score was 24-20, but Pankaj and Aditya’s combined 13 points kept their team within striking distance.
Thanks to a tackle from Gaurav Khatri, Puneri Paltan started the second half perfectly, giving their opponents a second ALL OUT. Despite this, they were down by two points as Bharat and Vijay made sure the Titans maintained their lead. Neither Bharat nor Aditya gave an inch during their Do-Or-Die Raids.
But with Aditya Shinde and Pankaj Mohite finishing their Super 10s, the season 10 winners were able to square the playing field. With the two teams knotted at 33-33 going into the game’s final quarter, everything was on the line. Shankar Gadai’s Super Tackle gave the Titans the lead again, and Aditya’s raids kept the Paltan in the match.
Aslam Inamdar, his captain, came up with a critical tackle to accomplish a third ALL OUT on the Titans after a quiet night. With five minutes remaining in the game, Puneri Paltan was in control after taking their first lead of the evening, although by just one point.
Aditya Shinde’s incredible four-point Super Raid to give the Paltan total control was the game-changing moment. With less than two minutes remaining, the season 10 winners took a seven-point lead after another ALL OUT performance. With time running out, the Paltan took their time and pulled off an incredible nine-point comeback to win 50–45 and guarantee their spot in the final.
