Jaipur Pink Panthers cruise past Gujarat Giants 31-36 to consolidate their spot in the top half of the points table

The Jaipur Pink Panthers went head-to-head against the Gujarat Giants in the 100th game of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 at Sheraton Grand in Bengaluru as the inaugural champions found their eighth win this season to consolidate their spot amongst the Top 6 teams at the points table. 

The Giants tried their best to walk away with a win tonight but could not get past Deepak Niwas Hooda and Arjun Deshwal who carried their team past the finish line.

Deepak was the star of the show once again as the veteran all-rounder picked up a total of 11 points to his name. He was a constant threat for the Gujarat-based franchise and kept them on their toes at all times. With the threat of Deepak looming over their heads, the Giants tried their best to keep the all-rounder in check, which gave Arjun the opportunities to keep his side in the game with points on important occasions.

Other than the two raiders, the defense for the Jaipur-based franchise for right on the money as they played with a lot of patience and did not make any unnecessary tackles that could take the match away from the team’s possession. Sandeep Dhull, Deepak Singh, and Vishal functioned as a rock-solid unit and garnered a total of ten points for their team in defense. The Pink Panthers had a total of fifteen points in defense tonight, which is undoubtedly one of their best performances this season.

On the other hand, Gujarat heavily relied on their offensive firepower as they tried to brute force through Jaipur’s defense which worked out for their team tonight. However, the defense failed to provide the needed support to their raiders which was one of the turning points of the game. Gujarat just had nine tackle points in the entire game with Paresh Bhainswal emerging as the best defender for his side scoring four out of nine tackle points for his side.

Arjun Deshwal in action as he attempts to score a running hand touch on Sunil Kumar

Jaipur started the game with a flying start as Deepak scored a two-point raid to give his team a great start into the contest, Arjun added more to the worries of the Giants as he scored a touchpoint in a do-or-die raid to put his opponents on the verge of an all-out. Ajay however saved his team with a two-point raid, as he scored a bonus plus touchpoint to keep his side in the game.

Both the teams went back and forth against each other as they traded points raid after the other. Paresh evened the odds for his team with a super tackle on Arjun to reduce the points difference to just two points with four minutes left in the first half. Jaipur went all-in with just two minutes remaining in the first half and inflicted the first all-out on their opponents to establish a six-point advantage over the Giants leading into the second half, with the scoreline of 14-20.

Jaipur continued to pile up the pressure on Gujarat as they scored back-to-back points in the second half to put Gujarat in a precarious position. However, the Giants displayed unwavering confidence as they fired back with consecutive super tackles on Arjun and Deepak. Gujarat used the momentum to return the favor as they sent the Pink Panthers packing with an all-out to establish a one-point lead for the first time in the entire game. 

Jaipur did not allow the setback to hamper their momentum and with just four minutes left in the game, the team increased the match pace with back-to-back tackle points to regain their lead over the opponents. 

Deepak survived a super tackle attempt with just two minutes left in the game to give his team a crucial two-point lead. The veteran raider then hammered the final nail in the coffin with a two-point raid in the last second to lead his side to a 31-36 victory over their opponents.

The Pink Panthers will be very happy with their win as the team have almost consolidated their spot in the Top 6 and now just need to win a minimum of three matches from the remaining five fixtures to confirm their place in the playoffs. Jaipur will face a tough challenge from the Bengaluru Bulls this Friday as the South Indian side is desperate for a win to confirm their spot amongst the top two teams in the league table.