PKL: Jaipur Pink Panthers beat U Mumba to get closer to playoff spot

Arjun Deshwal shone bright as Jaipur Pink Panthers thrashed U Mumba 44-28 in the Pro Kabaddi League on Tuesday. The young raider scored 17 points in a stellar display to help Jaipur leapfrog Mumbai on the points table and become favourites for a playoff spot. Mumbai missed multiple opportunities to inflict an 'All Out' on Jaipur and that came back to haunt them in the second half.

Their raider Ajith Kumar scored a Super 10 (11 points). Mumbai started the match on the front foot with their raiders Abhishek Singh and Ajith Kumar looking in good form. Ajith clinched a 4-point Super Raid in the fourth minute to give his team an early advantage.

But at the other end, Arjun Deshwal picked points with ease. The former Mumbai raider found bonus points easily as Fazel Atrachali and his men took a cautious approach. The lack of tackles allowed Jaipur, who were playing without Deepak Hooda in the starting 7, to slowly take control of the match.

Their defenders, especially right-corner Brijendra Singh, also chipped in with tackle points to help clinch an ALL OUT with 4 minutes remaining. That gave the Pink Panthers a 6-point lead but Mumbai's defence slowly found its rhythm. They tackled Nitin Rawal and Arjun Deshwal in consecutive moves to end on a positive note.

The scores were 17-14 with Jaipur in the lead at halftime. Mumbai dominated the early minutes of the second half with their defence now getting the better of Arjun Deshwal. A 2-point raid by Ajith Kumar gave them an opportunity to inflict an ALL OUT but Jaipur fought back through Brijendra Singh.

He produced a stunning 3-point Super Raid to keep Jaipur in the ascendency. Ajith Kumar again produced a 2-point raid but Brijendra followed it up with another good raid. A Super