Jaipur Pink Panthers scored an easy 41-33 win over Bengal Warriors to be just two points behind leader U Mumba, while Telugu Titans failed again to convert an advantage into a victory as it drew 28-28 with Bengaluru Bulls after leading 13-10, as the Visakhapatnam leg of the ProKabaddi League kicked off at the Port indoor stadium here on Saturday.
Titans ran up a 13-7 lead before Bulls reduced the margin at half-time. After the interval, Titans moved ahead to 17-13 but allowed Bulls to draw level at 18.
Titans then raised fans’ hopes a few minutes from the close, taking a 25-21 lead, but once again allowed Bulls to draw level at 26. A faint chance of a victory when it led 28-26 evaporated when Rahul was trapped on his raid and the match ended in a draw.
While Titans have 18 points, the three points earned from the draw helped Bulls, on 30 points, stay in the race for a semifinal berth.
Rahul Choudhary and Deepak Nivas Hudda excelled for Titans, while Ajay Thakur and captain Manjit Chillar helped Bulls keep pace. In the other match, lack of coordination in the defence was Warriors’ undoing as Panthers, led by Prashant Chavan in place of an injured Navneet Gautam, dominated throughout. Seven points in two minutes, including an all-out, put Panthers in a strong position at half-time (26-10).
Star player awards: Titans vs. Bulls: Best raider: Ajay Thakur (Bulls); Best defender: R. Subramaian (Titans); Moment of the match: Gurpreet Singh (Bulls).
Second match: Panthers vs. Warriors: Best raider: Jasvir Singh (Panthers); Best defender: Ran Singh (Panthers); Moment of the match: Rajesh Narwal (Panthers).
Points position: 1. U Mumba (37); 2. Jaipur Pink Panthers (35); 3. Bengaluru Bulls (30); 4. Patna Pirates (28); 5. Dabang Delhi (26); 6. Telugu Titans (18); 7. Puneri Paltan (15); 8. Bengal Warriors (15).
