Aditya Shinde was in superb form yet again as Puneri Paltan brushed aside a resilient U Mumba 37-27 in Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night.
The season 10 champions delivered a strong performance despite trailing early in the match. Aditya Shinde came off his own raids to secure a crucial win for Puneri Paltan.
U Mumba got off to a brilliant start, opening the game with a tackle by Rinku on Aslam Inamdar. This was quickly followed by Ajit Chouhan’s Super Raid, which helped U Mumba earn points by taking down Gaurav Khatri, Pankaj Mohite, and Gurdeep. This sequence gave U Mumba a commanding 4-0 lead.
Puneri Paltan fought back as Aditya Shinde got Rinku out, earning the team their first points of the night. His performance galvanized the team, helping Puneri Paltan equalize at 5-5 with successful raids on Lokesh Ghosliya and Parvesh Bhainswal. However, despite their efforts, U Mumba maintained the lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter showcased exactly why Puneri Paltan is regarded as one of the most balanced teams this season. After allowing U Mumba to control the early exchanges, Puneri struck back with a series of sharp raids and well-timed tackles. Aslam and Pankaj led a strong defensive effort, combining to inflict the first All Out of the match, swinging momentum firmly in Puneri’s favor.
Dominating possession and dictating the pace, Puneri Paltan outplayed U Mumba in the second quarter and went into halftime leading 17-12.
The third quarter saw a closely contested battle, with Puneri Paltan holding just a slender one-point advantage. U Mumba’s Ajit Chouhan continued his sensational run, consistently breaching Puneri’s defense and keeping his team within striking distance. His successful raids on Vishal Bhardwaj and Gurdeep demonstrated his sharp instincts and composure under pressure.
For Puneri Paltan, Aditya Shinde stood tall, matching Ajit raid for raid and securing crucial points. Defenders Gurdeep and Abinesh Nadarajan also produced key tackles at critical moments. Despite U Mumba’s efforts, led by Ajit’s dominance and Sandeep’s consistency, the score was a tight 22-21 with 10 minutes remaining.
As the fourth quarter unfolded, a tackle by Amirmohammad Zafardanesh on Pankaj equalized the score for U Mumba, followed by Sandeep getting a touch on Rakesh. Both sides traded points and leads regularly, keeping the match tense and exciting.
A Super Tackle by Aditya Shinde gave Puneri Paltan the lead once again, which they capitalized on heading into the final five minutes. With a four-point advantage, Puneri played cautiously to avoid giving away silly points.
Aditya Shinde completed his Super 10 and reached the milestone of 100 points in the PKL. Soon after, Anil contributed a bonus point in a Do-Or-Die raid, maintaining the nail-biting intensity until the very end.
Ultimately, Puneri Paltan inflicted an All Out on U Mumba, courtesy of Aditya Shinde, sealing a comprehensive 10-point victory.
This commanding win marked a brilliant start to the season for Puneri Paltan and highlighted Aditya Shinde’s rising stature as one of the league’s most impactful raiders.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/pkl-12-aditya-shinde-hit-his-straps-as-puneri-paltan-overcome-u-mumba