Jaipur: After three consecutive defeats, Tamil Thalaivas finally bounced back to winning form in the 12th season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), defeating hosts Jaipur Pink Panthers 37-28 in the 52nd match at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium
This was the fourth win in nine matches for Tamil Thalaivas, taking their tally to eight points and pushing them to eighth place in the standings. For Jaipur Pink Panthers, it was their fourth loss in nine outings and their first defeat after a three-match winning streak, leaving them with 10 points at fifth place.
For Tamil Thalaivas, Arjun Deshwal was the star, scoring 13 points, while defender Nitesh Kumar added seven and Suresh contributed five. Jaipur’s Nitin Dhankhar emerged as their top scorer with eight points.
The contest began cautiously, with both sides trading points in the opening minutes. Tamil Thalaivas maintained a narrow two-point lead in the first 10 minutes, but a super tackle by Jaipur helped them avoid an all-out and take the lead. By the 15th minute, Nitin Dhankhar’s raid pushed Jaipur two points ahead.
However, Arjun Deshwal’s bonus in a do-or-die raid, followed by a super tackle, swung the momentum back to the Thalaivas, who led 14-13 at halftime.
The second half saw more drama as Nitesh Kumar’s super tackle gave Thalaivas a three-point cushion, though Jaipur briefly regained the lead with an all-out at 19-18. But Arjun’s brilliant super raid in the 28th minute—his sixth Super 10 of the season—helped Thalaivas inflict an all-out and surge ahead 27-22.
From there, the Thalaivas held firm, with Jaipur unable to bridge the gap despite late resistance from Nitin Dhankhar. In the closing minutes, the Thalaivas sealed the win with a comfortable 37-28 margin.
The result not only lifted Tamil Thalaivas’ spirits but also highlighted Arjun Deshwal’s rising form as one of the standout raiders of PKL-12.
