 "PKL 2024 Highlights: Ayan, Devank star as Patna Pirates beat Jaipur 43-41")
The young pair of Ayan Lohchab (14) and Devank Dalal (11) racked up 25 points between them to help the Patna Pirates claim a thrilling 43-41 victory over the Jaipur Pink Panthers at the GMCB Indoor Stadium on Friday. Both raiders achieved Super 10s, but it was a late defensive push from the Patna Pirates that countered Arjun Deshwal's impressive 20-point effort, lifting them to third in the standings as they concluded their Hyderabad leg of PKL 11.
The Jaipur Pink Panthers took charge early on, led by captain Arjun Deshwal, with strong support from Neeraj Narwal and a solid defense. Despite efforts from Devank Dalal and Ayan Lohchab to earn points for the Patna Pirates, they faced challenges, resulting in an ALL OUT in the 10th minute as Jaipur dominated the game.
Arjun’s strong form included a Super Raid, which secured his Super 10. As the first half neared its end, the Patna Pirates managed to stay focused and gradually reduced their deficit. Scoring 18 points collectively, Devank (8) and Ayan (10) spearheaded a comeback, executing an ALL OUT on Jaipur with just three minutes to go in the half, giving Patna a 25-21 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Arjun continued his aggressive play, delivering a Super Raid worth 5 points, allowing Jaipur to reclaim the lead and leaving Patna with only one player on the mat. Another successful raid by Arjun led to a second ALL OUT for Patna. It took seven minutes for Patna to score again in the second half, during which Ayan achieved his Super 10 and reignited his team’s momentum. Despite Arjun hitting the 20-point mark, Patna remained close, trailing by just a point with ten minutes left.
The game remained intense until the final moments. Devank completed his Super 10 with a bonus point but was tackled by Ankush Rathee soon after. Consecutive Super Tackles kept the Pirates in the fight, equalizing the score with three minutes remaining. A crucial bonus point by Devank in a Do-Or-Die raid, followed by a successful tackle by Shubham Shinde, sealed a hard-fought win for the three-time PKL champions.