PKL 9 semi-final live updates: Puneri Paltan vs Tamil Thalaivas
PUN vs TAM Highlights: Puneri Paltan Tamil Thalaivas overcame a first-half deficit and injury-hit Raiders to qualify for the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League final – their first ever. Pankaj Mohide (16 points) and Mohammad Nabibaksh (6 points) were the stars in an incredibly tense and pulsating evening as Puneri Paltan won 39-37 at the Dome, NSCI SVP Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Watch PKL 2022 Live Streaming on Disney+Hotstar & PKL 2022 Live Updates on Insidesport.IN.
In these early moments, the signs were pointing towards a close game between the two sides. But Thalaivas held the game by the scruff of its neck until the defense woke up. All too soon, raids by Narendra and Ajinkya Pawar were complemented by some brilliant defending as Baldan stumbled.
The Target is locked 🎯
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.#PuneriPaltan #BhaariPaltan #Gheuntak #BhaariKabaddi #vivoProKabaddi #Paltangiri #FantasticPanga pic.twitter.com/y0zRwuj7Pr— Puneri Paltan (@PuneriPaltan) December 14, 2022
Baldan needed several super tackles to delay what had been an all-out earlier and when the first all-out came, Thalaivas raced into a 15-11 lead. Now, in sync and control, Thalaivas began to control the game and despite falling in numbers with some brilliant checks from Pankaj Mohit, they got some super tackles to ensure they didn’t surrender all. Although Thalaivas led 21-15, the teams went into halftime short.
Paulton came out in the second half determined to go all out early to regain momentum. The game was missing two of their leading riders and it was tough against a strong, resilient Thalaivas side. It took the trickery and brilliance of Muhammad Nabibakh, who was first all out to make it a one-point game.
The difference between the two teams did not extend to two points in the final ten minutes, with both teams constantly trading points, and a tactical battle of the highest quality was underway. Mohit completed his 10 points in the game and the teams were tied 30-30 with five minutes remaining.
It was in that final period that Baldan skipper Fazal Atrachali came in at crunch time and removed Ajinkya Pawar to revive both his tackle points of the game. With just over three minutes remaining, Paltan scored his second of the game to take a 36-30 lead. It was a lead they never relinquished, holding Thalivas to within an arm’s length of the match and qualifying for the final.
