PKL 2022: Puneri Paltan decimate record champions Patna Pirates, seal semifinal spot

Puneri Paltan became first team to seal semifinal spot in PKL 2022 (Image Courtesy: PKL)

Hyderabad, December 5: Puneri Paltan on Monday (December 5) decimated record champions Patna Pirates 44-30 to seal a semifinal spot in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2022 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium.

Akash Shinde (13 points), Mohammad Nabibakhsh (9 points) and Pankaj Mohite (5 points) dominated the scoring, while captain Fazal Atrachali registered 4 points to help Pune become the first team to book a direct entry to the last four clash.

For Patna Pirates, Sachin (10 points), Mohammedreza Chiyaneh (5 points) and Anand Tomar (5 points) were the top scorers, but the trio could not stop Pune from ending the five-time champions' playoff hopes.

PKL 2022 Points Table | Results | Fixtures

Billed as a battle between two teams led by Iranian defenders, the electric start was expected. Despite the defensive talent on show, the Paltan ran into an early lead through Akash Shinde's quick raids.

While Shinde was an obvious starring candidate, Paltan's Iranain all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh also pulled together points on both sides of the mat to leave the Pirates reeling.

The Paltan inflicted the first ALL OUT of the game with barely a minute of the first half left to surge into an 18-8 lead. Barely threatened by anyone bar Sachin, Paltan went into the break leading 19-10.

PKL 2022 Playoffs: Qualified Teams, Schedule, Venue, Telecast and Live Streaming Info

The Paltan deepened the Pirates wounds in the second half, Shinde and Nabibakhsh subjecting them to constant touch points as they further extended an already comprehensive lead.

At the other end, despite Sachin chipping away with valuable points, the Pirates looked in disarray. A third ALL OUT by the Paltan late in the game all but confirmed their victory as they went into a 43-19 lead.

The Pirates ended up getting 11 points in the final five minutes, with Mohammedreza Chiyaneh getting a five-point haul, to earn back some respect but in the end, it was too little too late as the Paltan sealed their spot in the semis.