PKL Season 10 Highlights: Jaipur Pink Panthers edge past U Mumba; Bengal Warriors beat Bengaluru Bulls

Bengal Warriors got the better of Bengaluru Bulls while Jaipur Pink Panthers edged past U Mumba in the second match of the night. For U Mumba, the loss won’t be as much of a worry as much as Zafardanesh’s knee will be. 

Tomorrow’s fixture: Just the one game tomorrow

Tamil Thalaivas vs Patna Pirates - Sachin vs Narender 

Well this was such an anticlimactic finish from U Mumba. Jai Bhagwan comes in, takes far too much time in getting a point. Runs the clock down instead of getting back and putting Jaipur in on a DOD raid. To make matters worse, he does not cross the midline on time. Coach Gholamreza is not going to happy about this and Jaipur seals their third win on home turf. 

Reza is miffed with himself as he allows Jai Bhagwan to get a point off him. Lead down to two points now. 

Under two minutes to go and the Jaipur defense had brought down Guman Singh. Sunil coming to the party now. Three point lead for Jaipur. Arjun Deshwal is now running the clock down. 

Visvanth undoes some of the good work done here by going for a tackle on Arjun. Unsuccessful of course. Time out is called. Coaches are speaking to their boys. Two point lead for Jaipur.

Three point lead to Jaipur. Is the game slipping away? Under five minutes to go. Alireza puts in an empty raid. Bhavani Rajput also puts in an empty raid, happy to allow his defence the chance to do the heavylifting, which they love doing in the death. Alireza tries to find a point but has to return emptyhanded after 15 odd seconds. Heidarali Ekrami can be seen warming up. Why wait for the final four minutes to introduce him? Alireza goes out for Heidarli Ekrami who is giving DOD responsibilities right off the bat. AND WHAT HAS HE DONE! MULTI POINT RAID THIS FROM HEIDARLI EKRAMI. Ankush holds his leg, but he pulls away and gets two points.

Error from Surinder who goes in for an advanced tackle once more. SUPER 10 for Arjun, but more importantly, that lead for Jaipur inflates. He has waited for Surinder here, good strategy this. Review shows Arjun didn’t get the bonus. U Mumba decides to challenge Surinder being sent off as well. The contention might have been that Arjun’s body was not in the playing area when going through. But replays vindicate Arjun. REVIEW UNSUCCESSFUL. 

Bonus for Arjun Deshwal. Under seven minutes to go. Guman goes in for the DOD raid, not one of his strengths because Zafardanesh usually does the DOD raids. He cannot survive this one. Two points to Jaipur. 

Two point raid for Guman Singh? Reza is constantly at Guman and the U Mumba raider is happy to reciprocate. We see only Reza was caught. Just the one point. Third time Reza has conceded a point to Guman

Ajith goes in for the DOD raid but the U Mumba defence keeps him down. Referees think Surinder is out of bounds, but he is safe. Point to U Mumba. 

Sahul Kumar catches Alireza mid-flight. Point to Jaipur. No all outs in this game so far and both teams will eye that as we enter the crunch moments of this encounter. 

Alireza gets a touch on Bhavani Rajput. Ajith is the only raider left. U Mumba will want to work towards the all out. A timeout is called with under 10 minutes left in this match. Scores are level, 24 a piece.

Guman Singh tries to get a kick on Sahul, with Ankush coming in for the block. He pushes past Ankush to get the point. Ajith gets a bonus point. A few raids later, Ajith gets another point, with Gokulkannan unsuccessfully trying to dash him out. 

Finally, the injured Iranian will get a breather. 

Arjun Deshwal gets a big running hand touch on Rinku in the right corner. Guman Singh comes in to raid next, with U Mumba down to three. Reza attacks him once more and handles the dangling hands, but Guman turns his lower body and gets past with his leg. The U Mumba defence then brings Arjun Deshwal down.

Bhavani Rajput gets Visvanth who puts in an advanced tackle. extremely unnecessary one to boot. U Mumba nows gets a two point raid, with a bonus plus removing Reza, Guman does well. 

Guman comes in for a DOD raid for U Mumba. Sahul gets a hold on him but Guman drags him to the midline. Arjun Deshwal follows. He jumps over the defender coming to grab him. What an incredible bunch, but look, he has stepped into the lobby before the jump. OH WHAT A MISS. Jaipur brings down Zafardanesh as he’s surrounded by defenders. WHY IS HE STILL ON THE MAT with a clearly off knee? 

Visvanth puts in his first raid of the night, clear indication of issues with Zafardanesh. Surinder, the defender, has put in five raids. Ajith Kumar comes in and GETS FOUR POINTS. First super raid of the night and Jaipur takes the lead. Along the right, he takes everyone who touched him. U Mumba down to three men. Rinku, Surinder, all watching from the bench now. 

Bhavani Rajput putting in his first raid but he’s brought down by the right side. Gokulkannan gets a pat of approval from Rinku. Reza has taken down Zafardanesh who is not looking comfortable at all

Ajith is dashed out but Gokulkannan is also completely out of the playing area. One point each. Guman puts in an empty raid and that’s half time! 

Zafardanesh is steering clear of Ankush and is looking a bit ginger on his right knee. Shubham comes in for JPP but he is dashed out. Mukilan’s foot was out into the half but only when the players were out of the lobby. Zafardanesh is now dashed out by Reza and he is limping. The management has a call to make now. 

Zafardanesh is wincing here and there. Can Gholamreza consider giving him a breather? Arjun Deshwal comes in, gets a bonus. Surinder tries to dash him out but it’s too close to the midline. Gifted. Guman comes in next but is brought down by the defence. Reza tries to catch a jumping Guman and grabs him by the foot. 

Zafardanesh gets a bonus point, but the replay shows that could have been dicey. No review asked. Zafardanesh waited to try and get a touch too but comes safely. Arjun follows it up with a bonus too. Zafardanesh comes in to raid again, gets two points after he gets a touch on two defenders, but the more serious issue is, he winces in pain. The right knee looks to be in some trouble as he gets some attention from the physios. A few seconds later, he runs into the mat. Oh that will be a sight of relief. 

Ajith Kumar comes in for the DOD. Surinder is with Visvanth in the chain. He breaks away and then catches hold of Ajith and brings him down. Nicely done. Zafardanesh is back on the mat, finally. 

Surinder comes in to raid, to protect Visvanth, the last raider left on the mat. He is yet to raid so far. Surinder indicating that the team is happy to play on the third raid for the timebeing. Meanwhile. Zafardanesh has been off the mat for over six minutes.

Guman is brought down by the right corner. He is asking for the bonus point but they won’t get it. Both of U Mumba’s raiders are on the bench. Not good news for the outit. 

Ajith gets a touch on Zafardanesh who is just not happy about how things are going. He has been kept quiet and is not happy about conceding the touch. JPP targetting the raiders from their opponent. 

Empty raid from Shubham for JPP. Guman takes his time and draws out an attempt from Reza who comes in for the dash. But Guman gets his hand across the line. Arjun Deshwal is then stranded as he stood there with no footwork. It looked like Arjun blanked there for a minute. 

Arjun Deshwal gets Zafardanesh who tries to hold his ankle vain. Arjun gets a touch on Surinder on his way back. Two points. A very unhappy Anup Kumar watches along. Anup won the PKL with U Mumba in season 2. 

Ajith Kumar comes in for a DOD raid but he is sucked into the defence by Vishvanth and Surinder who are able to work as a unit. Guman Singh then follows it up with a massive touch on Sahul in the right corner. 

Surinder charges at Arjun Deshwal. Pushes him off the mat. That looked dicey but the job is done. Zafardanesh comes in next. Ankush catches his ankle and brings him down with a twist. The Iranian gets the bonus point though. 

Mukilan tries to get Arjun, with a hold on his ankle. He sees Arjun is heading to the midline and stops his teammates from helping him. Meanwhile, the right corner, Sahul brings down Guman., Massive backhold on the Mumba raider. Sunil and Reza came in as reinforcements. 

Guman Singh jumps his way to two points along the left flank. Ankush and Ajith sent to the bench. Sunil is not happy with his defenders as he sends a stern message as they walk to the sidelines. 

U MUMBA: Guman Singh, Surinder Singh, Rinku, Zafardanesh, Mukilan, Gokulkannan, Visvanth

JAIPUR PINK PANTHERS: Arjun Deshwal, Sunil, Ankush, Reza Mirbagheri, Sahul Kumar, Ajith, Shubham

No Sombir or Mahender for U Mumba as they start on the bench. Interesting this from Gholamreza. 

Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba played the very first game of the league 10 seasons ago. Now they will feature in 1001th game. Jaipur Pink Panthers have faced U Mumba 22 times in the history of PKL. Both teams won 10 and lost 10 encounters, while 2 matches ended in ties. An interesting contest awaits as a high-flying Panthers unit faces a Mumba outfit desperate to stay consistent in the wins column. 

Bharat gets a touch on Jaskirat. But why did Bharat take so much time? Now Warriors clearly have the win, but will they deny them the point (which is up for grabs if the losing team loses under a seven-point margin). But that’s not Bengal. They are clinical but not ruthless. A nice win for the Warriors, one consolation point for the Bulls. Third win on the trot for the Warriors. 

Vikash Kandola gets a point after slipping out of an anklehold from Shubham Shinde. Maninder comes in for a DOD raid. Ran Singh and Surjeet have their eyes on him. He moves a bit deep into the right cover region. A defender, Surjeet, gets his ankle, but Maninder shakes him off to go through and gets Ran Singh on the way too. Warriors given two points, they ask for a bonus point too. Incredible raid by Maninder. Bonus or not, this game is beyond Bulls’ reach. The replay shows just how strong that shake off of Surjeet was. Both the defenders he got are big strong men. Absolutely incredible skil from Mighty Mani. The review is unsuccessful. No bonus. 

Bharat has far too much to do but Shubham Shinde won’t let him do it as he brings him down in the right corner. 

Shubham Shinde gets to his high five with an anklehold on Neeraj Narwal. Maninder reduces Bulls to two men on the mat after Surjeet gets a bit antsy and goes solo for Maninder. Sushil is also sent back to the mat after Jaskirat and Vaibhav bring him down. The last man is handled by the Warriors as they inflict the 2nd all out on the Bulls.

Maninder’s speed sends Ran Singh out of the mat due to the speed. The momentum sees him lose balance and fall. Maninder and Ran Singh will have a laugh about this once this game is done. He was holding a smile back even on the mat, was Mani. Scores level. 

Parteek comes in with a massive double thigh hold to bring down Vishwas. Vishwas is a big man, good effort this. Jaskirat will return the favour to the Bulls by clutching Bharat’s leg for dear life. 

Surjeet flies again and pushes Nitin off in a do-or-die raid for the Warriors. Vikash Kandola comes in for a DOD raid for his side and he’s brought down too, with Jaskirat and Vaibhav Garje taking care of him. A bonus has been given to Vikash. Bengal reviews that. When his trailing foot is clear of the blackline, his foot is not off the mat. BENGAL’S REVIEW IS SUCCESSFUL. Good review this. 

Bharat’s raiding has reduced. Vikash and Neeraj being given more responsibilities

Warriors crawl back. Shubham Shinde in the right corner gets Bharat’s ankle. Bharat gets the bonus though so a point or each side. 

Bulls back in the lead after inflicting an all out on the Warriors. How the tables have turned! In just over eight minutes. Neeraj Narwal follows that with a point courtesy a gentle ankle hold by Aditya who gets dragged to the midline. Warriors follow that with a shoddy ankle hold by Ran Singh. Nitin gets the bonus too. 

These empty raids will hurt teams like Bengal who could capitalise on points when possible. Vishwas comes in for a do-or-die raid. Surjeet and Co. stop him from pushing his way through. Vikash Kandola comes in for a do-or-die raid for the Bulls. Two men for the Warriors. Vikash gets a touch on Aditya, with him and Jaskirat looking far too nervy in the super tackle situation. Shrikant Jadhav is the last man and Bulls are sniffing an all out. 

Excellent chain tackle from Saurabh Nandal and Neeraj Narwal. Nitin tries a dubki to get out of the chain, but no. Good work from Bulls. Vikash Kandola comes in for the do-or-die raid. With sheer speed, he sends Vaibhav off the mat. The Bulls are clawing back. Bengal down to three men. 

Surjeet flys before Maninder to try and dash him. Maninder was racing away but Parteek comes in with a backhold and Maninder cannot escape. That says a lot about the kind of strength Parteek had in that tackle. 

Bharat’s good run continues as he tempts Shubham Shinde to try to get an anklehold in and then slips away

Massive turn of momentum in the last 10 minutes. Maninder has been doing usual Maninder things, ticking points away bit by bit. He managed to get the better of Surjeet throughout the game, but the defensive resurgence of the Warriors in the second 10 minutes of the half sets the two sides apart. A couple of minutes of points constantly going to the Warriors and that all out inflicted on the Bulls made the difference. The Bengaluru Bulls are no strangers to the art of staging comebacks. Can they manage one tonight?

Sushil is pushed out of bounds. 

Well done Bulls. Nitin goes in on a do-or-die raid. The defence knew to draw him into the right corner with the left closing him out. 

What a brain fade. Nitin comes in with only two men on the mat for the Bulls. Nitin’s pace sends Saurabh Nandal off the court.. Neeraj attempts to stop him. ALL OUT.House cleaned. Bengaluru Bulls on the backfoot. Right after, a circle of defenders led by Shubham Shinde and Vaibhav Garje bring Bharat down. Bulls are infamous for passages of play like this where the game slips away. Maninder gets a bonus and Sushil is blocked by Jaskirat and Vaibhav. 

Bulls down to two men but they get a bonus point

Oh no. An attempted anklehold from Monu and a failed backhold by Ran Singh gives Nitin two points. Bengal in the lead now. 

Jaskirat brings down Bharat. A frontal block right around the thighs and Bharat can’t wriggle out. 

Sushil comes in on a do-or-die raid. Shubham put in an anklehold which didn’t stick, but the second line of defense dashed him out. Right after, Vishwas - on a do-or-die raid for Bengal - is brought down by Ran Singh. Incredible bunch of tackles here. 

Bharat is claiming the touch on the right corner. He gets the touch on Vaibhav Garje and a bonus point to boot. What follows is slightly bizarre for the Bulls. Bharat puts in an anklehold on Mani that doesn’t stick. Surjeet comes flying at him as Maninde makes his way back to his half. Two points to Bengal Warriors. Bulls lead by 2 points after the first 10 minutes of the game

Maninder quietly does his job on the other end. Quick touch on Surjeet.

Quality ankle hold in the left corner from Ran Singh. Nitin cannot escape the grip. Bharat follows that with a touch on Vishwas. He uses the lobby after getting the running hand touch along the right flanks. 5/5 for Bharat. 

Sushil is brought down as he comes in for a do-or-die raid. He goes in too deep and is clapped down. Vishwas, on a do-or-die raid, gets a touch on Surjeet who comes in for an advanced tackle too close to the midline and all alone. Maninder is revived. 

Maninder is brought down. Surjeet goes behind him and blocks Mighty Mani, as his teammates come around to help. Crucial for Bengal Warriors to revive their skipper as soon as they can. Slight limp in Maninder’s walk as he heads to the bench. 

Bharat gets a bonus for Bengaluru. A few moments later, he gets a running hand touch on Jaskirat. 100% strike rate for the timebeing for Bharat 

A few empty raids pass. Maninder gets Surjeet in the right cover position

Bharat gets a touch on Nitin for the team’s second point. 

Maninder Singh’s first point of the night comes down the left flank, getting a touch on his best friend Ran Singh whose anklehold doesn’t stick. 

Bharat gets Bengaluru Bulls going with a bonus point

Maninder, like many others, has thanked Ran Singh for inspiring him to take up the sport. Ran Singh - another underrated figure in kabaddi. They were teammates before (Jaipur, Bengal). Today, they are foes.

Bengal Warriors: Maninder Singh, Vishwas, Nitin Kumar, Vaibhav Garje, Jaskirat Singh, Shubham Shinde, Aditya Shinde

Bengaluru Bulls: Bharat, Surjeet Singh, Parteek, Sushil, Monu, Saurabh Nandal, Ran Singh

In the last 10 years, the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has churned out generational talents in the sport. So much so that superstars of the game such as Pardeep Narwal did not find a place in the Hangzhou Asian Games squad, despite holding most individual records in the league —1568 raid points, 1180 successful raiding attempts, 79 super tens and 73 super raids.

For the upcoming edition, sweeping changes were made by most teams at the auctions, either to better their playing philosophy or construct a more versatile squad, or both.

We are now at the 1000th game of the league which has been one of the most consistent elements in the international kabaddi scene. 

Jaipur Pink Panthers have faced U Mumba 22 times in the history of PKL. 

Both teams won 10 and lost 10 encounters, while 2 matches ended in ties. 

The previous contest between Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba ended in favour of the former. They won 41-31 earlier in Season 10. 

After 12 matches, Jaipur Pink Panthers are second on the PKL Season 10 points table. They have won 8, lost 2 times, and played out 2 ties in 12 matches, amassing 48 points so far. 

On the other hand, U Mumba are fifth in the standings after winning 6, losing 4, and playing out a tie. They have a total of 35 points.

Jaipur Pink Panthers head into this encounter on the back of a win against Puneri Paltan on January 13. They won the match 36-34 and it was their eighth win in Pro Kabaddi League Season 10. 

U Mumba, on the other hand, played out a 44-44 tie against Haryana Steelers in their last outing on January 10.

In PKL history, Bengal Warriors and Bengaluru Bulls have played each other 21 times. 

With 12 wins against Bengaluru Bulls, Bengal Warriors are ahead in the head-to-head record, while Bengaluru Bulls have won this encounter 9 times. 

The previous contest between Bengal Warriors and Bengaluru Bulls ended in the favour of the former. They won 32-30 earlier in Season 10. 

After 12 matches, Bengal Warriors are seventh on the PKL Season 10 points table. They have won 5, lost 5 times, and tied 2 of their 12 matches, amassing 33 points so far. 

Bengaluru Bulls, meanwhile, have 31 points and are eighth on the points table. They have won 5 and lost 7 times.

Bengal Warriors head into this contest after a win against U. P. Yoddhas on January 13. They won the match 42-37 and it was their fifth win in Pro Kabaddi League Season 10.

Bengaluru Bulls also won their last match after beating Patna Pirates 35-33 on January 8.

A group of 40 bikers from the Club Roaring Hawks thronged the streets of Jaipur to celebrate the 1000th Pro Kabaddi League match, which will be played between Bengal Warriors and Bengaluru Bulls in Jaipur on Monday. With the 1000th Panga posters on their bikes, the bikers visited iconic spots in Jaipur, which included Amber Palace - Main Fort of Jaipur, Jalmahal Palace, Hawamahal, Albert Hall and Patrika Gate.

Today, in the Pro Kabaddi League at SMS Indoor Stadium, Jaipur, Bengal Warriors take on Bengaluru Bulls in the first game of the night, while Jaipur Pink Panthers clash with U Mumba in the second game. You can watch the Pro Kabaddi League on the Star Sports Network and the Disney+ Hotstar app.