The Jaipur Pink Panthers enjoyed a thrilling victory on Tuesday, narrowly overcoming the UP Yoddhas with a score of 33-30 at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad. Arjun Deshwal shone on this occasion as he became just the sixth raider in the history of the PKL to reach 1000 raid points, while Neeraj Narwal’s contribution of 9 points (7 raid points) was a standout element of the team’s performance.
Both squads had a sluggish beginning to the match. Arjun Deshwal initiated the scoring for the Jaipur Pink Panthers, followed shortly by Gagan Gowda’s score for the UP Yoddhas. Although the Jaipur Pink Panthers maintained a lead for much of the first half, the teams frequently exchanged points throughout the match. During this period, Reza Mirbagheri and Surjeet Singh anchored the defense, with Neeraj Narwal offering strong support to his captain, Arjun.
However, after the first half, the UP Yoddhas surged ahead with a score of 15–17, largely due to Sumit’s successful Super Tackle that took Arjun out of the game. They were bolstered by Bharat Hooda’s four raid points and one tackle point, which received solid backing from Ashu Singh in defense and Gagan Gowda in offense.
Following the acquisition of Neeraj Narwal and later the formidable Arjun Deshwal, the UP Yoddhas seemed to focus on executing super tackles. Yet, the Jaipur Pink Panthers secured the game’s first ALL-OUT in the twelfth minute, as the UP Yoddhas had been running on empty since the start of the second half.
Neeraj Narwal was appointed to lead the raiding unit of the Jaipur Pink Panthers. On the flip side, Hitesh’s High 5 kept his team competitive throughout the match. Arjun Deshwal made headlines as the second-fastest raider to reach 1000 raid points while managing to touch Surender Gill with a slight nudge during a tense moment in the game.
Reza Mirbagheri capped off the match with a High 5, resulting in a thrilling contest that remained neck and neck until the end. Nevertheless, the Jaipur Pink Panthers emerged victorious by a narrow margin of three points, thanks to Ankush Rathee’s exceptional defensive efforts against Surender Gill.
Later on, following an intense clash against Dabang Delhi K.C., U Mumba claimed their third win of the season. At the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday, the Season 2 champions triumphed with a score of 32-26. Key players such as Manjeet, Rohit Raghav, and Amirmohammad Zafardanesh were pivotal in leading U Mumba to victory.
Manjeet and Ashu Malik quickly got their teams on the scoreboard, registering four of the first six points for U Mumba and Dabang Delhi K.C., respectively. By the midpoint of the first half, U Mumba had established a two-point advantage, spurred on by several incisive raids from Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, who soon made his mark.
However, the defenders regained control, exchanging strikes to prevent any easy points from being awarded. For U Mumba, Sunil Kumar and Sombir fortified the defense, while Yogesh contributed four points for Dabang Delhi K.C. in the opening half. With a decisive tackle to conclude a fiercely contested first half, Yogesh handed U Mumba the lead with the final play, ending the half at 14–13.
In the second half, pivotal exchanges saw Rohit Raghav emerge as the hero for U Mumba in the final moments. With under four minutes left in the match, the Season 2 champions managed to slow the pace and maintain a 6-point lead. Nonetheless, Dabang Delhi K.C. refused to make it easy for them.
With less than two minutes on the clock, Ashu Malik completed his Super 10, while Yogesh achieved his Super 5, narrowing the gap to just three points. The atmosphere was tense, but Manjeet came to U Mumba’s rescue by tackling Ashu Malik and then executing a successful raid, while Amirmohammad Zafardanesh dashed the Season 8 champions’ hopes of a comeback.
