A superb all-round performance by Puneri Paltan saw them register a comfortable 37-25 victory over Haryana Steelers in the Pro Kabaddi League at Ranchi on Wednesday, PTI reported.

Sandeep Narwal (nine points), Rajesh Mondal (seven points) were the main contributors but it was a real team effort which led Pune to victory. The Paltan raiders chipped in with 15 points while their defence contributed 17 points. For the Steelers, Surjeet Singh was the sole performer as he ended up with nine raid points.

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Paltan are now third in Zone A with 42 points from 11 matches. Steelers remain second with 49 points after 16 matches. Paltan led 2-0 in the first minute after scoring a raid and tackle point. There wasn’t much to separate the two teams at the start of the game.

However, the Paltan side wheeled off to take a sizeable lead after inflicting an all-out, head into half-time with a 16-10 lead. Paltan were took total control of the match as they led 20-13 after 25 minutes.

The game was sealed with Paltan reducing another all-out to head into a 33-20 lead. The Steelers struggled to match Paltan’s intensity. A battling Surjeet Singh, with three successful raids in the closing stages, helped reduce the deficit.

Patna Pirates continue winning run

Pardeep Narwal became the first player to cross the 200-point mark as Patna Pirates beat Bengaluru Bulls 36-32. The Bulls struggled against Narwal and Monu Goyat’s raids as the Pirates walked into a a 19-11 lead at half-time.

The reigning champions were even better after the break, inflicting an all-out to almost take a 14-point lead in the game with the score at 29-15. Rohit Kumar led a lone fight for the Bulls, picking up 15 points on the board. However, the Pirates took their foot off the pedal in the last five minutes of the game, which allowed the Bulls to make a late comeback.