5 best moments from the Pune leg of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi

Sandeep Narwal (L), Tae Deok Eom (C) and manager Kartik Sansanwal (R) celebrate after qualifying for the playoffs

The Pune leg of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi came to a dramatic end on Wednesday after the Patna Pirates made it through to the semi-finals after an intense game with the Jaipur Pink Panthers before a thriller between the Bengaluru Bulls and the Puneri Paltan was won by the former by just one point.

The Pune leg of Pro Kabaddi produced some absolutely fascinating moments and there was ecstasy for the Pirates while agony for the Pink Panthers in the end, passionate crowd support for the Pune Paltan and also the excitement of a dress rehearsal of a possible final.

But we have shortlisted the five best moments from the Pune leg of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi:

1. Hosts Puneri Paltan kickstart the home leg with a win

After facing disappointment after disappointment, the Puneri Paltan came into the home leg with their dream of a semi-final berth already exhausted. But rallied by an ardent home support, the Puneri Paltan returned the favour as they grabbed the second win of their campaign by beating Dabang Delhi by 5 points and spark wild celebrations in the stadium.

2. Punekars chant ‘Kashi Kashi’

When Puneri Paltan faced Dabang Delhi in the first game of the Pune leg, it was expected that the likes of Wazir Singh would get the loudest cheer. But, instead the loudest cheer and chants went to the way of fellow Maharashtrian Kashiling Adake of Dabang Delhi as the league’s top raider was warmly welcomed back to his state. It was a delightful sight to see the crowd appreciating an opposition player so much for his accolades.

3. Telugu Titans steal the march on league leaders U Mumba

In a battle which was touted as the dress rehearsal for the final, the Telugu Titans completely dominated the U Mumba side, beating the league leaders by 21 points. The Titans were at their ruthless best as they dispatched U Mumba’s challenge quite brutally to send out a loud message to the other semi-finalists.

4. Tae Deok Eom sizzles as Punekars left awestruck

The agility of the Korean Tae Deok Eom caught the eye of the gathered crowd as they got behind the nippy Korean and gave a loud cheer every time he came into action. His dash to dismiss Harvinder Singh not just got the spectators off their seats, it also made the media box take note as everyone present rose on their feet to applaud the Korean’s effort.

5. Patna Pirates celebrate as referee blows for full time

The most defining moment of the Pune leg came at its very end. In a virtual quarter-final, Patna Pirates got the better of the Jaipur Pink Panthers by just two points as the entire bench ran onto the field after the referee signaled the end of the game. The Pirates were ecstatic as they booked their place in the semi-finals in Mumbai after being almost out of contention a week ago.