Welcome to Sportstar's coverage of the Pro Kabaddi League. This is Lavanya Lakshminarayanan and I will be taking you through today's PKL 8 match between Puneri Paltan and Gujarat Giants.
PUNE 33-26 GUJARAT:
Great all-round performance here from Pune. Defenders took the backseat in this game as raiders did the work and guided Pune to their second win of the season. Mohit Goyat and Ajay Kumar got Super 10s but Mohit's went in a winning cause. Aslam Inamdar has been impressive yet again for Pune in attack and defence. Gujarat will lick its wounds after this drubbing, needing some serious soul searching after a very pedestrian performance. Their defence was off for most parts of this game save a few super tackles towards the end. It does bring a change in place for Pune which nows moves to 11th.
Can Telugu Titans undo that? Find out in the second game of the night:
SEVEN POINT VICTORY FOR PUNERI PALTAN. FIVE POINTS. Second win of the season. What a relief this must be. They go up in the points table as a result too. Must feel good to get their bottoms off the bottom of the table.
26-33
Mohit Goyat gets his SUPER 10 and he's taken out Ravinder Pahal to get there. Lovely! But very sad visuals to see Pahal limping off. Why is he playing if he's not alright?
26-32 PAKDO (GRAB HIM), says the Pune defence. Good job. Baldev blocks out raider..
26-31 SUPER TACKLE AGAIN.
Parvesh Bhainswal held on Aslam Inamdar's ankles like he was holding on to his own life.
24-31
Gujarat is trying to stay within seven points. Sunil thinks he's got the bonus, but the referees disagree. Gujarat does not have a review.
24-31 Rakesh thought he had the bonus but is out of bounds. Wasted opportunity.
24-30 SUPER TACKLE.
Mohit Goyat is brought down Nicely done by Gujarat here. Girish and Sunil seem to have knocked heads. Painful.
22-30
Ajay Kumar is gushed down by a wave of Puneri Paltan players. Oh too good from Pune. Eight point lead for Pune.
22-29
Aslam Inamdar goes on a do-or-die raid and comes good for Pune again. He almost cartwheels off Rakesh Narwal and goes to the midline.
22-28
Ajay is claiming a touch on Vishal Bharadwaj but isn't give a point.
22-28
Ajay Kumar get his super 10 with a bonus point
21-28 ASLAM INAMDAR
wants Ravinder Pahal to get some more rest and sends him off to the bench. He's got a bonus too.
21-26
Ajay gets a bonus point, thinks he's got Vishal, but nope. Just the one point.
20-26
Another team effort. Double thigh hold by Aslam Inamdar here. He dives to catch Rakesh's legs and almost bends backward. He's brought him down almost singlehandedly. Rakesh has no chance. BRILLIANT.
20-25
Gujarat returns the favour and brings down Vishwas. Sunil and Parvesh combine to get this done.
19-25
Rakesh is brought down. Pune roaring here in defence. Fourth tackle point of the evening. Vishwas went in with the tackle with the rest of the team rounding up the kill.
19-24 Errors.
Ajay Kumar gets two as Abinesh and Mohit go for him . Abinesh tries a frontal block but he's too far up front. He's taken out Mohit who tries to hold his legs.
Rakesh and Ajay have scored 14/17 points scored so far. Abysmal for this defence.
17-24
Rakesh gets a bonus for the Giants.
16-24 ANOTHER ALL OUT INFLICTED BY PUNERI PALTAN.
Lovely. Mohit pressures Parvesh off the mat and gets a touch on Ajay.
16-20
Manpreet has been given a green card for coaching during the raid. Gujarat seems to have got the bonus too.
15-20
Aslam Inamdar comes in on a do-or-die raid? Inamdar pressures the defenders yet again and it looks like Sunil has stepped off. Oof.
15-19
Ajay has so much space in the towards the left cover and Aslam Inamdar is there. It looks like he's picked up Aslam Inamdar, but referees say no. Ajay is livid and he's shown the green card.
15-19 And here's how they implode. Ajay Kumar is dashed out of the mat by Abinesh Nadarajan but it seems the bonus plus touch point, after Ajay made his hand across the line on time, will help Gujarat. THINK PUNE, THINK.
Manpreet Singh has told Gujarat Giants to go for bonus points and quick raids, but it seems like Ravinder Pahal not coming back might not help their strategies.
HALF TIME: Well. This has been some first half of Kabaddi! I for one did not see Gujarat's defence being as pedestrian as it has been today. Pune seems to have set plans for the defence. Mohit seems to have made a bunny out of Sunil while Hadi and Girish have been targeted constantly as well. Aslam Inamdar is trying to do it all - raid and tackle. While he has found reasonable success as an allrounder, given how vital he is to bringing Pune raid points, should he focus on just one aspect? We'll ask Anup when we get a chance at the end of the game. However, if there's one thing the Gujarat vs Haryana taught us, it is that this team can really turn things around. Can Manpreet's wonder pep talks work again? Can Rakesh S produce a repeat of his previous performance? We'll have to wait and see. Six point lead to Pune, as it stands. Let's head into the second half.
13-19
Bonus to Gujarat too.
SIX POINT LEAD FOR PUNE AS THE HALF TIME WHISTLE BLOWS.
11- 19 MY GOD SO MUCH DRAMA.
Aslam Inamdar goes in pursuit and gives Gujarat no chance at all. He pushes all the defenders to one side of the mat. Ajay Kumar seems to have stepped off and Rakesh steps out too. Pune does not review. This is very odd.
Why has Anup not reviewed this?
12-18
Bonus to Gujarat
11-18
Mohit Goyat is fast and looks like he's dashed off but he has a hand on the mat. Girish Ernak comes charging from the left corner. What we don't immediately know is if his hand went through the mat. Referees think he's safe but it's being reviewed. A defender, Parvesh, has stepped out, Mohit has a touch on Rakesh Narwal and then Girish comes at him, Mohit gets a hand across the line but we need to see if it has come from outside or through the mat and midline. Mohit has his left palm in the orange area and the hand comes across the line, but obviously not through. Let's see what the referees decide.
REVIEW UNSUCCESSFUL AND ANUP KUMAR FEELS VINDICATED. SEVEN POINT LEAD. TWO POINTS TO PUNE
11-16 Vishwas gets Hadi. He's just making the Iranian do a lot of walking, but off the mat. Running hand touch there.
11-15
Mohit Goyat takes out Sunil Kumar. Not the first time. Bunny alert! Is he targeting Sunil? Cannot wait to ask Anup about this after the game.
11-14
Rakesh Narwal takes out Baldev. He is slowly and steadily coming to play.
Only four tackle points have been seen so far. That's really saying something
10-14
Mohit Goyat takes out Hadi Oshtorak. Nice work here by Pune's raiders so far. Gujarat too, with Rakesh S
10-13
Rakesh takes out Aslam Inamdar. He tries to hold him by the shoulder and then block. But obviously doesn't succeed.
9-13 Ravinder Pahal
goes around the player to effect a takedown and they get the tackle point
but it looks like he's hurt himself in the process. The Hawk is holding his knee. This can't be good. Hadi Oshtorak is warming up again and Pahal limps off to the bench. Not good visuals.
8-13 Bonus for the Giants
7-13
Vishal could not resist. Ajay Kumar draws Vishal out of that corner and then slips out to the midline.
6-13
Girish Ernak is taken out by Vishwas S
6-12
Rakesh gets a bonus point and sends off Mohit Goyat after an unsuccessful ankle hold. Little too excited there, Mohit?
4-12
Has Mohit Goyat got both people on the mat? This is borderline hilarious. Hadi Oshtorak and Parvesh Bhainswal both step off the mat.
ALL OUT. Fazel Atrachali and Mohsen Maghsoudlou are giggling as they watch on. I wonder if it's for what's happening here
4-8 Too much for Rakesh to do as Pune brings him down on the left corner. Abinesh Nadarajan doing the hardwork here.
4-7
Mohit Goyat takes out Girish Ernak as he's cornered to the periphery.
4-6
Too easy. Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat come together to orchestrate an anklehold on Rakesh Narwal. Vishal-Baldev help them finish the takedown. He is a delight to watch, Inamdar!
4-5 Why is Ravinder Pahal making these elementary mistakes? Pahal goes for the dash and then sees Goyat turn towards him and he tries to avoid a touch but its advantage Goyat as he gets a touch and runs off. Pahal has not involved himself in a tackle properly yet.
4-4
Mohit Goyat gets Sunil to break the Sunil-Parvesh chain.
4-3
Ajay Kumar gets a touch on Baldev in the right corner. Baldev and Vishal taking turns to warm the bench
3-3
Bonus for Puneri Paltan. Bonuses don't help revivals.
3-2
OH LORD. THIS IS INTERESTING. It looked like a potential super raid but Pune's scrambling defence has done enough to escape with their hearts intact. An ankle hold pulls him down, but he's stretched out to reach the midline but can't cross it. PHEW.
3-1 Do or die raid for Pune and Vishwas is off to the bench after Gujarat swats him down to the mat with a frontal block plus pull back combo from Sunil and Parvesh
2-1
Rakesh dashes from the back to the midline and gets a touch on a Pune defender trying to dash him out. Too easy for Rakesh
Vishwas S is Pune's 7th different raider this season.
No raider from this team has scored a Super 10 - dubious record.
1-1 Rakesh S carries on from his form in the previous game and gets Vishal Bharadwaj
0-1
Aslam Inamdar starts off with a point in his first raid and he gets Girish Ernak
Time for live action. Giants win the toss and Pune will raid first. --------------------------------
7.25pm: LINEUPS:
Gujarat Giants: Rakesh Narwal, Sunil Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Ajay Kumar, Rakesh S, Ravinder Pahal, Girish Maruti Ernak
Puneri Paltan: Aslam Inamdar, Abinesh Nadarajan, Sanket Sawant, Mohit Goyat, Vishwas S, Baldev Singh, Vishal Bharadwaj
7.25pm: Rahul Chaudhari has faded into the background for Puneri Paltan and understandably so as he'd had one of the most horrid starts to the season. He has looked slower and too cautious to really trouble his opponents. This has opened a space for Aslam Inamdar to come in and take that lead raider spot and he's done reasonably well in that role. The team often gets into good passages of play and then the defence concedes points in a huff and then struggles to effect a resurgence. The unsteadiness of Gujarat Giants may actually be an opportunity for Pune. Can they take advantage? We'll have to wait and see. Pune has one win, and three losses. Underwhelming.
7.20pm: Gujarat Giants have had a mixed bag of a season so far
but Manpreet Singh is not frazzled. "We've just started the season, so many games are left to come. Our combinations are just about forming," he said after the Giants lost to the Steelers in their previous game. They have one win, two draws, two losses in their five games so far. Hardly the start this team wants.
7.15pm:
The 2022 edition of the
Sportstar Aces Awards are back and we are celebrating the marvelous year for Indian Sports that 2021 was. From Neeraj Chopra and the other Olympic and Paralympic medallists to the Indian cricket team, we have a bunch of nominees who need your vote to win!
Support your favourite athlete/team here.
7pm: If you're still new to the PKL caravan, no worries, we've got you covered for all the terms and rules that might confuse you.
6:45pm: Hey folks and welcome to our Pro Kabaddi League coverage for the day. Before we discuss today's fixtures, let's quickly recap the last four days. Here's everything you need to know about the PKL since the turn of the year -
January 4:
January 3:
January 2:
January 1:
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