Bengal Warriors Vs Jaipur Pink Panthers 20 October 2024

Full-Time
Bengal Warriorz 34 - 39 Jaipur Pink Panthers

What a start we've had to this Super Sunday! An absolutely engrossing encounter ends 39-34 in favor of the Jaipur Pink Panthers, and you have to Bengal has only themselves to blame! Fazel is left incensed at the end as his claims that Abhijeet Malik didn't cross the baulk line in Jaipur's final raid were dismissed by the referee.

Fazel was left fuming for most of this game as his defenders, the cover defenders in particular, kept letting him down with some really silly tackles. Even the experienced Nitesh Kumar made some silly errors to gift some points to Jaipur, who were solely dependent on Arjun Deshwal, who had a solid game, scoring 15 raid points.

Nitin Kumar starred for Bengal and could well become their lead raider this season, scoring 13 raid points, with Maninder coming to life in the 2nd half, finishing with 8 raid points to his name. Both teams' defenders left a lot to be desired, with Fazel Atrachali the only player who looked comfortable, with the Sultan picking up a High 5. Jaipur's left corner Ankush struggled, however, but Abhijeet Malik, the all-rounder stepped in, getting four tackle points to his name.

All these came together to create a really thrilling match, with the experience of Surjeet Singh coming to the fore as Bengal will rue the multiple errors they made. 

The action now shifts to the much-awaited clash between Ram Mehar Singh's Gujarat Giants and the Bengaluru Bulls, led by Pardeep Narwal. Click here to catch all the action from that contest as I, Shreyas, sign off for the night. Goodnight!

2nd Half, 40'
Bengal Warriorz 34 - 39 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Surjeet Singh showing why he's one of the best in the business! A Super Tackle situation for Jaipur and as Nitin slips away from Abhishek KS's attempted ankle hold, Surjeet came in clutch with a powerful dash and that could well seal this for Jaipur!

The difference is four points as Maninder goes in for that final raid and Ankush gets his first tackle point of the match as Jaipur emerges victorious by a 5-point margin in an absolute humdinger!

2nd Half, 39'
Bengal Warriorz 34 - 35 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Ohh, Ankush, what was that? He has had a quiet evening and puts in a needless challenge on Nitin Kumar. Nitin is flying now, and he gets another point, his 12th of the night with a toe touch on Reza.

Arjun has a do-or-die raid and this could well decide the fate of this match! Fazel Atrachali gifts a point to Arjun, though, and Jaipur's lead goes up to three again!

Nitin Kumar, you beauty! What a raid that is from the youngster! Lucky Sharma, deputizing in that left corner steps out of bounds, and immediately, Nitin uses his presence of mind to race in and get a touch on Arjun Deshwal!

The difference is down to one point. 70 seconds left to play and no Arjun on court! What a finish we're set to have as Jaipur call for a timeout.

2nd Half, 37'
Bengal Warriorz 30 - 34 Jaipur Pink Panthers

A silly error from Pranay Rane, who overruns and steps into the lobby concedes another cheap point to Jaipur as their lead goes up to four. Timeout called by Bengal, who need to strike now!

2nd Half, 36'
Bengal Warriorz 30 - 33 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Nitin Kumar gets to his Super 10 with a huge, huge point! Abhijeet Malik confidently goes in with another diving attempt, looking for his High 5, but Nitin anticipates it this time, and rides the challenge to the mid-line.

Both Arjun and Abhijeet off court for Jaipur as Jaipur is down to four. Vikash Khandola needs to step up now, and he does. Forces the left cover Shreyas into an error does Vikash and once again, Fazel is furious at one of his cover defenders as Bengal let their strangle hold on this game slip.

2nd Half, 34'
Bengal Warriorz 29 - 32 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Maninder stepping up in the raiding department for Bengal now, once again getting the better of Surjeet Singh, who hasn't looked at ease today against the pace of the Bengal raiders.

At the other end, Arjun finally gets his bonus point, but Fazel reviews immediately. The Sultan usually doesn't miss with his reviews, but while it's close, there isn't enough evidence to overturn the on-field call.

Maninder says, worry not, and picks up a bonus point himself.

At the other end, Mayur Kadam shows why the team is backing him here.  He gets the big fish Arjun Deshwal wth a well-timed dash and while Arjun gets the bonus, that is still a huge point for Bengal!

2nd Half, 32'
Bengal Warriorz 26 - 30 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Maninder Singh uses his might to power past Surjeet Singh's instinctive block after getting caught out for pace in that right cover position. Just the start Bengal needed post the break.

Arjun tries for the bonus twice in a row, but doesn't get it, resulting in a do-or-die raid. Abhijeet Malik goes in and claims a touch literally two seconds into his raid, with an action replay of his diving touch on Mayur Kadam's boot. It's been a poor evening for Mayur here!

2nd Half, 30'
Bengal Warriorz 25 - 29 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Both teams play on the do-or-die raid now, and Bengal's effort to do so sees Vishwas S tackled by Abhijeet Malik yet again. He could get to his High 5 soon, could the raiding all-rounder!

At the other end, Arjun pushes hard against Mayur Kadam and Fazel, and the right cover can't control himself, and gifts a point to Arjun, with Fazel left fuming. With Bengal down to one now, Fazel goes in to raid himself and while he gets the bonus, Abhijeet Malik makes no mistake with his challenge as Jaipur get their second all-out!

Jaipur edge ahead as the timeout is called. Final ten minutes and it's anyone's game. 

2nd Half, 27'
Bengal Warriorz 23 - 24 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Surjeet Singh opens his account for Jaipur with a hefty block to stop Nitin Kumar and put Jaipur on the front foot once more.

Vikash Khandola is sent in for a do-or-die raid in a 1v2 Super Tackle situation, and he never looked confident, running into the arms of Fazel Atrachali, whose thigh hold is too good for Jaipur's supporting raider. Bengal fight back once more as their captain gets his High 5. Outstanding from the Sultan!

Jaipur's lead is down to one now!

2nd Half, 25'
Bengal Warriorz 21 - 23 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Ohh, what have you done, Arjun Deshwal?

With only two on the mat for Bengal, Arjun goes in looking to secure the all-out, but Fazel and the substitute Vaibhav Garje position themselves brilliantly, and force Arjun into a more pacy running hand touch and he enters the lobby without a touch, handing Bengal a Super Tackle. 

The deficit is back down to two now.

2nd Half, 23'
Bengal Warriorz 18 - 23 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Abhijeet Malik is proving to be really useful here for Jaipur. The all-rounder dives in with another perfectly timed ankle hold to stop Maninder in his tracks from that right-in position!

Bengal down to three once more as Arjun eyes a second all-out for his side, and nailing the running hand touch on the right corner, making great use of the 30 seconds on the raid clock. They're down to two now!

Half-Time
Bengal Warriorz 18 - 21 Jaipur Pink Panthers

A roller-coaster of a first half comes to an end, with Jaipur holding a slender lead courtesy of a brilliant Arjun Deshwal, who's already on a Super 10. The cover defenders of both teams have been found lacking, but defensively, Bengal have been better, with Fazel and Arjun trading blows to each other.

Nitin Kumar has looked bright for the Warriorz, and looks like he's the lead raider, with Maninder content to play second fiddle. Can the Jaipur defense step up? Will the Warriorz cut out their defensive errors? Who'll come out on top, we'll find out in this second half!

1st Half, 20'
Bengal Warriorz 18 - 21 Jaipur Pink Panthers

The Sultan steps up. With only two members on the mat and Arjun Deshwal on a rampage, Fazel puts in a terrific ankle hold to get a Super Tackle and prevent another all-out.

Maninder Singh then goes in and gleefully accepts a weak gift of a challenge from Ankush to reduce Bengal's deficit to just three points! As we break for half-time, this game is really well-poised, and we have a cracking second half ahead of us! 

1st Half, 18'
Bengal Warriorz 14 - 19 Jaipur Pink Panthers

What happened there? Reza Mirbagheri pops up with a two-point raid. The Bengal cover chain attempts a chain tackle, but the powerful Iranian left cover uses the lobby well to get past the mid-line comfortably.

Arjun Deshwal makes sure he capitalizes on that momentum, picking up two more points, reducing Bengal to two now! He gets to his Super 10 as well and we're not even done with the first half.

1st Half, 16'
Bengal Warriorz 14 - 17 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Ohh, Mayur Kadam finally has his man! He goes for Arjun's thighs and locks in with a solid double thigh hold, halting his point-scoring run.

At the other end, though, Maninder Singh has no chance in a do-or-die raid, with substitute right corner Arpit Saroha coming around with a solid block-knee hold. First do-or-die raid of the match by the way, that's how fast-paced it has been.

1st Half, 14'
Bengal Warriorz 13 - 16 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Super Raid! Nitin Kumar puts in a brilliant raid to bring Bengal back into this. Surjeet Singh dives in with an advanced tackle attempt and thinks he has him, but Nitin shows great awareness to slip away, and ensures he gets a touch on Lucky and Vikash Khandola who attempt to provide support but get tagged in the process.

However, Arjun's on a roll now! He gets Fazel Atrachali once again, with a kick, anticipating Fazel's ankle hold, nicking a touch on his finger. This game is moving so fast.

1st Half, 12'
Bengal Warriorz 10 - 15 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Mayur Kadam's poor outing continues as he's a sitting duck for Arjun Deshwal's running hand touch, but Maninder quickly revives him, with Lucky Sharma gifting a point to him.

Ohh, once again Arjun gets Mayur Kadam! Arjun draws the dash from Mayur Kadam, backing his speed to get past the mid-line and that's exactly what happens as Arjun races to six raid points.

1st Half, 10'
Bengal Warriorz 9 - 12 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Reza Mirbagheri doesn't stay quiet for too long but his audacious advance tackle attempt doesn't work against Nitin Kumar. But, meanwhile, Arjun Deshwal is breathing fire at the other end. He gets Shreyas Umbardand with a brilliant toe touch before going in again and almost forcing an all-out picking up two points, and reducing Bengal to only one!

Nitin Kumar is the last man on court for Bengal and the Jaipur defense remains patient, with Abhijeet Malik putting in a well-timed diving double ankle hold to get the first all-out of the match and give Jaipur the lead.

As the whistle blows for the timeout, we get a minute to catch our breath in what has been a rollercoaster first ten minutes! Brilliant stuff from both teams, but it's Arjun's raiding prowess that is the difference between the sides so far. Can the Warriorz hit back?

1st Half, 8'
Bengal Warriorz 7 - 6 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Well, well, Nitesh Kumar's court awareness found lacking twice in a row now! He once again puts in a brilliant ankle hold on Vikash Khandola,  but steps into the lobby way before he dives in. You don't expect such amateur errors from experienced players like him!

And what that does is revive Arjun Deshwal and third time around, he gets Fazel! He backs the Iranian into a corner, and with a swift extension of his arm, gets the all-important touch. Ohh wait, he gets another one, this time targeting Bengal's third raider Pranay Rane, who deputized in the right corner!

The bonus points secured by Nitin and Maninder keeping Bengal ahead, but right now, they only have three men on the mat.

1st Half, 6'
Bengal Warriorz 5 - 3 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Maninder does his job without a fuss, quietly picking up two bonus points as the Warriorz take the early lead, with Arjun Deshwal spending a great deal of time off court. Can they revive him and if they do, can he open his account?

1st Half, 4'
Bengal Warriorz 4 - 2 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Fazel 1 - 0 Arjun! Great ankle hold from the Bengal captain, who gets one over a raider who has troubled him a lot. Arjun Deshwal facing a stern test here. Two unsuccessful raids in two.

However, Abhijeet Malik looks the part for Jaipur here, executing a diving hand touch on right cover Mayur Kadam.

1st Half, 2'
Bengal Warriorz 2 - 1 Jaipur Pink Panthers

That's a brilliant start for the Bengal Warriorz. Their defense seems on point here and they execute a solid team tackle, with Nitesh Kumar leading the charge with a block on Arjun Deshwal.

Maninder puts in an empty raid before Jaipur opens their account courtesy an error from Nitesh. It was another quality diving ankle hold from the right corner, but he steps into the lobby before doing so. 

However, Nitin Kumar opens his account and gives the Warriorz the lead again with a swift toe touch on Reza Mirbagheri.

Quality stuff to start this match off.

Arjun Deshwal to raid first for Jaipur. We're all set for live action.

As we count down the seconds to the start of the match, finalize your Dream11 teams with the right captaincy picks with the help of our in-house experts' suggestions:

We're not far away from the start of play as both teams make their way out to the mat.

This fixture has produced some enthralling contests in the past. Here's all you need to know about the Head-to-Head stats between the two teams:

Bengal Warriorz and PKL legend Maninder Singh opens up about his love for his team, his experiences as a captain, and more in this exclusive interview with Sportskeeda:

With the lineups announced and the stage set, those interested in making their Dream11 teams should be going into overdrive by now, trying to work out the best possible combination. Here is our very own Dream11 prediction to help you do the same:

Team News

Here are the starting lineups of both teams:

Bengal Warriorz: Fazel Atrachali (C), Shreyas Umbardand, Mayur Kadam, Maninder Singh, Nitin Kumar, Pranay Rane, and Nitesh Kumar.

Jaipur Pink Panthers: Arjun Deshwal (C), Reza Mirbagheri, Ankush Rathee, Lucky Sharma, Surjeet Singh, Abhijeet Malik, and Vikash Khandola.

A couple of surprises in the Bengal Warriorz's starting 7 as big-money buy Arjun Rathi finds himself on the substitute bench, with Pranay Rane getting the nod ahead of him. Mayur Kadam, who impressed for the Pirates last season starts over incumbent right cover Vaibhav Garje.

Jaipur line up along expected lines, with Abhijeet Malik ahead of Shrikant Jadhav the only close decision.

Preview

Good evening and welcome to Sportskeeda's coverage of the 11th season of the Pro Kabaddi League. After a spectacular first couple of days, we look forward to another scintillating set of matches to cap off a great weekend of kabaddi. And in the first match of the Sunday doubleheader, it's two PKL winners who'll go head-to-head. PKL 7 winners Bengal Warriorz will take on two-time PKL champions Jaipur Pink Panthers here at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.

The Warriorz, renamed, rebranded, and rejuvenated, will look to launch a bid for qualification this season after missing out, finishing 7th last season. They have a new captain in the PKL legend, 'Sultan' Fazel Atrachali, with fan favorite and raiding powerhouse Maninder Singh remaining a part of the side after being retained using the FBM card at the auction. Star right corner Nitesh Kumar also made the switch to the Warriorz after a couple of underwhelming seasons with the UP Yoddhas. With a good mix of experience and exuberance of youth, the Warriorz will look to go the distance this time around.

Meanwhile, Jaipur, who won the inaugural edition of the PKL and in PKL 9, would've made it three titles last season had it not been for the dominance of the Puneri Paltan and the spirited Haryana Steelers, who knocked them out in the semi-finals. Led by Arjun Deshwal, they remain one of the strongest teams in the competition, with the veteran right cover Surjeet Singh replacing Sunil Kumar. They'll look to stamp their authority on this competition right away.

With plenty of stars on show and a lot to play for, this should be a cracking contest. So sit back and enjoy as we bring to you all the live action from this PKL fixture.

Lineups to follow.