New Delhi, 7 Feb: Already assured of a play-off berth, Puneri Paltan scored a commanding 40-31 win over Bengaluru Bulls in a Pro Kabaddi League match at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday.
Despite a late comeback by Bengaluru Bulls, Puneri Paltan skipper Aslam Inamdar dished out a strong performance and was ably supported by his teammates as they continued their fight for one of the two semifinal spots.
Puneri Paltan were the aggressors in the first half, taking a decisive lead early in the game.
Sushil was unable to convert his DO OR DIE raid for Bengaluru Bulls, who are chasing a play-off spot.
Puneri skipper Inamdar once again was the main aggressor for his team, although he was well-supported by Mohit Goyat.
As the first half was coming to an end, Bengaluru Bulls worked hard to reduce the deficit between the two teams.
Sushil made the most of a DO OR DIE raid before Parteek trapped Inamdar during another DO OR DIE raid.
Raider Goyat then turned a defender to earn his team a crucial two points with a SUPER TACKLE to get Sushil off the mat as the scores read 13-18 at the halftime break.
Bengaluru Bulls were not able to carry their momentum from the end of the first half as Akash Shinde helped his team survive with a SUPER TACKLE against Vikash Kandola.
Raider Sushil was unsuccessful in his DO OR DIE raid as Bengaluru Bulls looked for a way back into the game.
Inamdar inched closer to a SUPER 10 after a successful raid got Bengaluru Bulls ALL OUT in the 14th minute.
Puneri Paltan raiders turned defenders as Goyat and Akash Shinde found themselves among the tackle points. This took the team to 33 points as compared to the Bengaluru Bulls’ 15 ahead of the strategic timeout in the second half.
Bharat was substituted onto the mat in the second half and got some crucial points, but it was not enough as Puneri Paltan’s lead was enough to ensure a win. (PTI)