Puneri Paltan secured its place in the final of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12, after scripting a nine-point comeback to register a 50-45 victory over the Telugu Titans at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Wednesday. This guarantees that the season 10 champions will contest their third final in four years, setting up an encounter with top-of-the-table rivals Dabang Delhi K.C. on Friday.
The match was defined by the attacking prowess of both teams. For Puneri Paltan, raiders Aditya Shinde, 21 points and Pankaj Mohite, 10 points registered crucial Super 10s. For the Titans, the efforts of Bharat Hooda, 22 points and Vijay Malik, 10 points, were ultimately in vain, despite both securing Super 10s. The Titans inflicted the first All-Out of the game via an immaculate Super Raid from Bharat Hooda to take a 10-1 lead.
Despite the early deficit, Puneri Paltan methodically fought their way back into the contest. Pankaj Mohite and Aditya Shinde combined effectively to keep the Titans within striking distance. Inflicting their first All-Out to cut the deficit, with Bharat Hooda pushing the pressure, completing his Super 10 in the first half to ensure the Titans maintained a 24-20 lead at the break.
Puneri Paltan started the second half strongly, inflicting a second All-Out thanks to a tackle from Gaurav Khatri, but the Titans maintained a slim lead through the combined efforts of Bharat and Vijay. The turning point arrived in the final quarter. With the scores tied at 33-33, Puneri captain Aslam Inamdar, having a sedate night, stepped up with a crucial tackle to execute a third All-Out on the Titans, giving Puneri Paltan their first lead of the night at a vital time.
The definitive moment came from Aditya Shinde, who delivered a sensational four-point Super Raid to give the Paltan a definite advantage. This was swiftly followed by another All-Out on the Titans, establishing a seven-point lead with less than two minutes remaining. Puneri Paltan calmly managed the clock to complete their comeback, securing the 50-45 victory and advancing to the PKL final.