Pro Kabaddi: Puneri Paltan defeats Bengal Warriors 38-31

Manjeet Chhillar produced a terrific all-round performance and ended with 11 points to guide Puneri Paltan to its fourth win of the season, a 38-31 win over Bengal Warriors.

Sonu Narwal (centre, clad in orange) contributed seven raid points for Puneri Paltan.

Bengal Warriors suffered its sixth defeat of the season after going down 31-38 to Puneri Paltan in the fourth Star Sports Pro Kabaddi at the Patliputra Sports Complex here on Saturday. Manjeet Chhillar produced a terrific all-round performance and ended with 11 points to guide his team to its fourth win of the season. Sonu Narwal scored seven raid points for Puneri Paltan.

Puneri Paltan now has 25 points after seven games and are second in the league table, while Bengal remains rooted to the bottom of the table after just eight points from seven games.

Jang Kun Lee opened Bengal Warriors in the opening raid but Puneri Paltan sent him to the bench in the third minute with the score 2-2. Paltan led 5-4 after eight minutes as both defence traded a few blows in an evenly poised first half.

Puneri Paltan opened a five-point lead with its raiders nicking points regularly as it led 10-5 after 12 minutes. It inflicted an all-out in the 14th minute as it led 15-9 with Bengal Warriors looking extremely shaky. Ajay Thakur scored two raid points in the 17th minute as Puneri Paltan led 17-10. In the 18th minute, Manjeet scored two raid points and one tackle point as Pune led 20-10.

Manjeet registered a “high five” as Puneri Paltan led 22-10 at the end of first half. Bengal Warriors scored just three tackle points in the first half.

One sided

Bengal suffered the second all-out in the first minute of second half as Puneri Paltan opened up a commanding 16-point lead. With its defence giving easy and cheap points, Bengal Warriors was staring at a heavy defeat as it trailed 13-29 after 25 minutes.

Manjeet continued his impressive form in the second half as Puneri Paltan led 31-16 after 29 minutes. Nitin Madane was the lone bright spark for Bengal Warriors and scored his seventh raid point in the 30th minute to reduce the deficit to 12 points. Puneri Paltan forced a super tackle in the 33rd minute to lead 34-21.

Puneri Paltan took its foot off the pedal in the last eight minutes and gifted easy points to Bengal Warriors. Nitin Madane achieved a super 10 in the 37th minute as Bengal Warriors trailed 36-26.

Bengal Warriors inflicted its first all-out in the 37th minute to cut the lead to eight points. Madane got another raid point in the last minute to salvage a point for Bengal Warriors as it lost 38-31.