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The spotlight on Day Four of the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 was firmly on defensive brilliance as Puneri Paltan, UP Yoddhas, and Patna Pirates took centre stage. Speaking on KBD Live on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga hailed the rock-solid performances from Abinesh Nadarajan (Puneri Paltan) and Sumit (UP Yoddhas), while also weighing in on Gujarat Giants’s Mohammadreza Shadloui’s dip in form and the challenges he faces as captain.
Speaking exclusively on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga praised Puneri Paltan’s defensive brilliance in their dominating victory over Gujarat Giants: “The tackle points outnumbered the raid points, which reflects how brilliant Puneri Paltan’s defense was tonight. The raiders contributed consistently and even without a Super 10, they managed to perform well. The defense of Pune though truly stood tall. Abinesh Nadarajan, Gurdeep, and Gaurav Khatri deserve full credit for their exceptional performances.”
Rishank Devadiga singled out Abinesh Nadarajan’s stellar form and defensive brilliance: "Abinesh deserves all the praise. He has been in terrific form over the last two seasons with Puneri Paltan, and we saw the same again today. He attempted seven tackles and scored six points with an excellent strike-rate. The way he dominated raiders like Rakesh and Parteek Dahiya was outstanding."
It wasn’t enjoyable to watch him struggle: Rishank Devadiga on Mohammadreza Shadloui's performance
On Mohammadreza Shadloui’s dip in form: "The way Shadloui clashed with U Mumba’s captain Sunil Kumar in the last match and lost that battle, I think that’s where his pride was broken. In kabaddi, mind games are crucial, if a player is mentally unsettled, it shows in his game, and that’s exactly what happened today. Shadloui looked like a completely different player, almost as if he was playing kabaddi for the first time. It wasn’t enjoyable to watch him struggle like this."
On the importance of Mohammadreza Shadloui’s role as captain, "Shadloui will have to bounce back because he is leading a young team. If he performs well, the rest of the players will be motivated to follow. Unfortunately, his poor outing today reflected on the team’s overall performance. But I’m confident he’ll rise again. He’s been a top player for the last three to four seasons and has always bounced back from setbacks. This season presents a different challenge, but I believe he will overcome it."
Rishank Devadiga complimented UP Yoddhas captain and defensive pillar Sumit: "Sumit played really well today. He deserves all the praise. He had scored eight tackle points in the last match against Telugu Titans, and today against three-time champions Patna Pirates, he completed his High Five. In terms of raids, both teams were equal, but the difference came from the tackle points, where UP clearly outperformed Patna. Early on, UP’s defense looked scattered, but in the final phase, the combination of Sumit and Ashu Singh was outstanding and turned the game in UP’s favour. What impressed me most was the new skill Sumit has developed this season — executing thigh holds and running blocks with perfection. Tonight, he used those moves brilliantly to break the momentum of Patna’s raiders and showed the perfect way to stop them.”
(With Inputs from Press Release)
