PKL: Pardeep Narwal shines as UP Yoddha beat Puneri Paltan to clinch semi-final berth

Pardeep Narwal reminded everyone why he is regarded as the 'playoff king' with an 18-point performance to help UP Yoddha beat Puneri Paltan 42-31 in the first eliminator match of Pro Kabaddi League here on Monday. UP Yoddha's win secured them a place in the semifinals where they will play league table-toppers Patna Pirates on Wednesday. UP Yoddha made an incredible comeback to win the crucial match after trailing by eight points in the early minutes of the first half.

Narwal was ably supported by Yoddha's famed corner combination of Nitesh Kumar (3 points) and Sumit (5 points). Aslam Inamdar scored a Super 10 for Puneri Paltan but they lacked the usual raiding power to trouble the in-form UP defence. Pune raced to a 5-0 lead in the initial minutes with the raiding duo of Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat taking control of the mat.

Mohit was also good in the defence, contributing in tackles from the IN positions, as Pune dominated the proceedings. He helped Paltan inflict the first ALL OUT of the match in the 7th minute with a 4-point raid. That gave Pune an eight-point advantage, but Yoddha immediately staged a comeback with Surender Gill leading the way.

The star raider picked up three quick points while the defence tightened to help Yoddha clinch an ALL OUT in the 13th minute. That levelled the scores at 10-10. Narwal then completely changed the complexion of the game with a stunning five-point Super Raid.

UP Yoddha took a lead for the first time in the match and Pune could not stop another ALL OUT in the final minute before the interval despite a Super Tackle by substitute Hadi Tajik. The Iranian picked up a yellow card in the process (two-minute penalty) and Pune had to play with a man disadvantage. However, the ALL OUT