PKL 12: After three consecutive defeats, Tamil Thalaivas return to winning ways, halt Jaipur Pink Panthers’ winning streak

Tamil Thalaivas finally returned to winning ways in Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) after suffering three consecutive defeats. Under the leadership of Arjun Deshwal, the Thalaivas defeated hosts Jaipur Pink Panthers 37-28 in the 52nd match of the season on Saturday at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium.

This was the Thalaivas’ fourth win in nine matches, taking their tally to eight points and moving them up to eighth place. After enduring three back-to-back losses, this marked an important victory for the team. On the other hand, Jaipur Pink Panthers suffered their fourth loss in nine games. After three consecutive wins, this was their first defeat, and with 10 points, they currently hold fifth place.

For the Thalaivas, apart from Arjun’s 13 points, defender Nitesh Kumar contributed seven and Suresh added five. For Jaipur, Nitin earned eight points.

Both Arjun Deshwal for Tamil Thalaivas and Nitin Dhanakhar for Jaipur Pink Panthers started scoring points for their teams. The game began at a slow pace in the opening minutes, with the Thalaivas holding a two-point lead in the first 10 minutes.

In the 11th minute, hosts Jaipur Pink Panthers avoided an all-out with a super tackle and soon after took the lead. In the 15th minute, Nitin Dhanakhar, in a do-or-die raid, grabbed another point to put Jaipur ahead by two.

Meanwhile, Arjun managed to snatch a bonus point in a do-or-die raid to level the scores. Thalaivas then pulled ahead with a super tackle. In the next do-or-die raid for Thalaivas, Reza Mirbagheri was tackled, but the Thalaivas still managed to hold a narrow 14-13 lead by the end of the first half.

Nitesh got a super tackle for the Thalaivas to complete his second High Five of the season and extend their lead to three points. However, Nitin Dhanakhar collected points in a do-or-die raid to close the gap for Jaipur. Soon after, Jaipur inflicted an all-out on the Thalaivas, moving 19-18 ahead.

After being all-out, Tamil Thalaivas leveled the score at 20-20. In the 28th minute, Arjun pulled off a super raid to notch his sixth Super-10 of the season. In doing so, he also helped Thalaivas inflict an all-out on Jaipur, making it 27-22 in favor of his team.

With 10 minutes left, the Thalaivas held a five-point advantage. They maintained the lead until the 35th minute. However, as soon as Nitin Dhanakhar returned to the mat, Jaipur’s hopes were rekindled. In the 38th minute, Jaipur managed a super tackle to add two points. But in the final minutes, Thalaivas led 37-28 and held on to their advantage, sealing an important win.