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The first day of the Nagpur leg of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 5 saw two thrilling matches as the Bengaluru Bulls staved off a late comeback bid from newcomers Tamil Thalaivas, while the Puneri Paltan recorded their second win in a row with a hard-fought battle against Dabang Delhi.
The side from Pune were ahead for most of the encounter and while the team from the capital came close at times, they never seriously threatened to overtake the Deepak Hooda-led Paltan. Rajesh Mondal ran riot and recorded a terrific attacking performance, coming up with some incredible raids in high-pressure situations, cementing his reputation as the king of do-or-die raids in the process.
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However, despite the loss, the moment of the match, or perhaps even the tournament, was a truly extraordinary tackle by Delhi defender Nilesh Shinde, one which left the commentators and audience stunned. It was the kind of tackle that rarely comes once a season perhaps, such was the audacity and timing of it.
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It was the eighth minute of the second half when this amazing episode took place. Coming in to raid for the Paltan was all-rounder Sandeep Narwal. With his side in command, he came in looking to milk the clock and use up the full 30 seconds of his raid, and in the process, try and coax the Delhi defenders into an error.
Halfway through the raid, he retreated towards the midline and started walking across the court from right to left. As he did so, he turned his back towards Shinde, Delhi's right corner and trotted towards the opposite end. The veteran defender quite smartly tiptoed his way towards the midline without Narwal knowing and when the opportune moment arrived, he produced a powerful dash to send the man known as 'the Beast' flying off the court, who had no clueg what hit him.
Everyone was stunned at this incredible turn of events, with captain Meraj Sheykh applauding his teammate and everyone running to get a piece of him. It was a once in a blue moon moment and despite his team's loss, it will go down as one of the most memorable moments in Shinde's career as well as the league's history.
You can watch the video here.
