PKL-12: After Bulls, Titans Confirm Playoff Berth, Defeat Puneri Paltan by 9 Points

At the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Saturday, Telugu Titans defeated Puneri Paltan 40–31 in Match 95 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 to claim the third spot on the points table, pushing Bengaluru Bulls down to fourth. Remarkably, this marks the first time since Season 4 that the Titans have qualified for the playoffs.

This was the Titans’ ninth win in 16 matches, while Puneri Paltan suffered their fourth defeat in 17 outings. The Titans’ playoff qualification was powered by Bharat (11 points), captain Vijay Malik (10 points), and strong defensive efforts from Shubham Shinde (5 points) and Ankit (4 points). For Puneri Paltan, Sachin, who captained the team today, scored 10 points, but lacked support from fellow raiders. In defense, Vaibhav (4), Dadasaheb Pujari (3), and Mohammad Amaan (3) performed well.

After the first four minutes, the Titans built a 5–2 lead, putting the Paltan under a super tackle situation. Bharat then executed a multi-point raid, pushing the Paltan to the verge of an all-out, which the Titans soon inflicted to lead 10–3. Following the all-out, the Titans quickly added two more points, before the Paltan finally managed to stop Bharat, opening their account. After 10 minutes, the Titans were ahead 14–4.

Early in the second quarter, the Titans’ defense claimed another tackle, and Bharat once again executed a multi-point raid to make it 17–4, bringing the Paltan close to another all-out. The Titans didn’t miss the chance and inflicted another all-out, extending their lead to 21–5.

Post all-in, the Paltan began a comeback attempt, reducing the margin to 10–23, and putting the Titans in a super tackle position. However, the Titans avoided it by catching Sachin. Soon after, Vijay Malik’s multi-point raid pushed the halftime score to 26–11 in favor of the Titans.

In the second half, the Paltan scored three points to the Titans’ two, reducing the gap to 14 points. Both Bharat and Vijay were caught, placing the Titans in a super tackle situation. Shubham Shinde, however, tackled Gunge to complete his High-5. The Paltan again forced a super tackle but limited the Titans’ scoring to two.

Puneri Paltan then inflicted an all-out, cutting the deficit to 20–32. After the all-in, Sachin dismissed Bharat, and with 10 minutes remaining, the Titans led by 12 points. Though Bharat was revived, he was caught again shortly after. Sachin kept scoring consistently, bringing the difference down to 10 points, before being caught himself on consecutive raids, restoring the Titans’ 12-point cushion.

Puneri Paltan continued their fightback until the final moments, even managing a super tackle late in the game. However, the Titans maintained their lead and clinched the win, becoming the fourth team to qualify for the PKL Season 12 playoffs — joining Puneri Paltan, Dabang Delhi, and Bengaluru Bulls.