Pro Kabaddi League: Manjeet scored 13 points and Krishan Dhull contributed 5 points as Patna Pirates’ stellar all-round performance led the three-time champions to a comfortable 46-33 victory over Haryana Steelers in a Season 10 match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Friday. The game began on a cagey note as only five points were scored in the opening five minutes. The Steelers led 4-1 and worked it to an 8-3 lead when they reduced the Pirates to just one man.
But it was not the Steelers’ day as Sachin came to the Pirates’ rescue by tagging two defenders to prevent the All-Out. He then followed it up with a brilliant solo tackle on Vinay to inflict a SUPER TACKLE. The Pirates trailed 7-8 at the 10th-minute mark and got on level terms three minutes later when the skipper Neeraj Kumar executed a Super Tackle.
Sudhakar M. produced a moment of magic in the 15th minute when he twisted and turned past Jaideep Dahiya and Ashish and the All-OUT came right after as the Pirates led 15-10. Shivam Patare gave the Steelers some respite, but it was the three-time champs who went into the interval with a 3-point lead at 18-15.
The Pirates’ defence was on song in the second half as they got 6 tackle points in 10 minutes, which paved the way for a second ALL OUT. Pirates’ lead raider Sachin also contributed with two tackle points, as Ankit’s dash on Shivam in the 29th minute saw the Pirates inflict the second All-Out and storm ahead to a 30-21 lead.
It was pure domination thereon from the Pirates as Manjeet got rid of both Mohit Nandal and Mohit to bring up a Super 10 against his former team and then Krishan trapped Ashish to complete his High 5. That powered the Pirates to inflict a 3rd All-Out in the 36th minute and they took a massive 16-point lead at 41-25.
Steelers’ Rahul Sethpal completed a High 5 when he got Chinese Taipei’s Zheng-Wei Chen in an ankle hold and Vinay also went past the Super 10 mark, but it was too little too late as the Pirates cruised to a 13-point win.
