"A lot of water flows through the river in one year" - Bengaluru Bulls Coach Randhir Sehrawat defends the choice of Akshit ahead of Sushil

The Jaipur Pink Panthers inflicted a crushing defeat on the Bengaluru Bulls in match 49 of the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League 2024 at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Tuesday. The Bulls began on a positive note as the dynamic Ajinkya Pawar got them an early lead in the game by scoring some quick points. As Jatin Phogat cashed in, the Bengaluru Bulls inflicted the first All-Out of the match in just eight minutes.

However, skipper Arjun Deshwal orchestrated a comeback for the Pink Panthers and they crept back into the game slowly. At the end of the first half, the Bengaluru Bulls still held on to the advantage, although ever so slightly with just a two-point lead.

However, the game slipped away from the Bengaluru Bulls' hands right from the beginning of the second half as the men from the Pink City foisted an All-Out on them immediately after the break. Ajinkya Pawar continued to lead the way for them with his raids but the defense was shaky.

Bengaluru couldn't stop Jaipur skipper Arjun Deshwal's carnage, who ran away with the game for his side. The Pink Panthers shifted gears towards the last phase and clinched the match by seven points in the end.

Akshit, the star raider for the Bulls in the previous match, failed to live up to the expectations in this game but the Bengaluru Bulls' coach backed him nonetheless. When asked about giving more game time to Akshit over Sushil, Bulls' coach Randhir Sehrawat remarked :

"A lot of water has flown through the river in the past one year. He (Sushil) did his training under me so I know about his form. Sushil had his chances tonight but he got tackled.

Explaining the rationale behind backing Akshit, coach Sehrawat said :

"How could I drop someone who had 11 points in the last game in favor Sushil, who has endured failures this season? People would call me a fool! This is not how things work. "

The loss will be a bitter pill to swallow for the Bengaluru Bulls, given the fact that they had taken the lead in the first half of the game. The Jaipur Pink Panthers will be delighted though, as they've moved up to the seventh spot in the table. The Bulls have now slipped to the 11th spot and they will be desperate for a victory when they square off against the Dabang Delhi in their next game.

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"Lot of rumors regarding Pardeep Narwal's injury on social media" - Bengaluru Bulls Coach clears the air on star raider's injury

Bengaluru Bulls Coach Randhir Sehrawat on Tuesday denied the claims of his team's star player Pardeep Narwal missing out for six to eight weeks due to an injury.

Speaking at the press conference, Sehrawat remarked :

"There has been a lot of rumours regarding Pardeep Narwal's injury on social media. His doesn't have an issue with his ankle or his knee. Infact, his injury isn't that serious at all. If I feel he is doing well in the practice sessions, then he is 100 percent likely to play in the next game."

It would be a huge relief for the Bulls if their captain, the "Dubki King," returns for the next game against the Dabang Delhi. They're languishing towards the bottom of the table and will have to bounce back to winning ways soon to get their campaign back on track.