Jaipur Pink Panthers vs U Mumba: Relive some action-packed encounters between two heavyweights in Pro Kabaddi

The rivalry between Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba is considered to be one of the biggest battles in the Pro Kabaddi League.

Jaipur Pink Panthers were the inaugural champions of the Pro Kabaddi and later bagged their second PKL title in Season 9, while U Mumba won their maiden PKL trophy in Season 2.

Since the inception of the league in 2014, Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba have faced each other in 25 matches in the PKL. Both teams have registered 11 victories apiece. As many as three matches ended in a tie.

Here’s a look at five of the most thrilling encounters between these teams in the PKL.

Season 11, Match 28:

U Mumba and Jaipur Pink Panthers were involved in an action-packed encounter in Match 28 of Pro Kabaddi Season 11 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad. Led by captain Sunil Kumar, U Mumba were off to a brilliant start before the Pink Panthers bounced back to reduce the deficit to three points (19-16) in the final minutes of the first half. The PKL Season 1 champions continued their impressive comeback and later rode on Neeraj Narwal’s Super Raid to level the scores. However, U Mumba all-rounder Rohit Raghav produced a sensational 4-point Super Raid to guide them to a nail-biting 39-37 win.

Season 11, Match 94:

The Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune witnessed an edge-of-the-seat thriller between Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba in Match 94 of PKL Season 11. The Pink Panthers managed to secure a slender 7-6 lead in the initial stages, before U Mumba delivered some defensive masterclass to register a 4-point lead (12-8) at the end of the first half. Later, in the second half, the Arjun Deshwal-led Pink Panthers regained their mojo and reclaimed their lead for a short time. However, U Mumba were soon back on level terms and later claimed a slim lead. In the final minutes, the Pink Panthers produced a Super Tackle that gave them a late lead, before Rohit Raghav helped U Mumba salvage a pulsating 22-22 tie.

Season 4, Match 2:

U Mumba and Jaipur Pink Panthers produced another enthralling encounter in Match 2 of Pro Kabaddi Season 4 at the Dome, NSCI, SVP Stadium in Mumbai. Both teams started cautiously, before U Mumba secured an early lead. While the Pink Panthers bounced back in the latter stages, U Mumba then rode on some brilliant raiding to claim an 8-point lead at half-time with two men left on the court. Later, in the second half, the Jasvir Singh-led Pink Panthers staged a brilliant comeback courtesy of incredible raiding from star raider Shabeer Bappu. The PKL Season 1 winners not only levelled the scores, but also inflicted an All-Out to secure a lead with 10 minutes remaining. The Pink Panthers managed to maintain their lead until the final minutes, before U Mumba made a comeback to level the scores and produced an All-Out to register a thrilling 36-34 victory.

Season 6, Match 114:

Match 114 of Pro Kabaddi Season 6 delivered an adrenaline-charged clash between Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba at the Tau Devilal Sports Complex in Panchkula. Under the leadership of Fazel Atrachali, U Mumba started the match on a positive note and led by five points in the first 10 minutes. In a do-or-die encounter for the Pink Panthers, the Deepak Hooda-led side later accumulated some crucial points to reduce the deficit. Despite the fightback, the Pink Panthers were two points behind at the end of the first half. However, the inaugural PKL champions bounced back early in the second half and later inflicted an All-Out to take control of the game. While the Pink Panthers managed a sizable lead, U Mumba produced an outstanding comeback and pulled off an All-Out to take the lead. Captain Deepak Hooda later led from the front in the dying minutes to help the Pink Panthers record a nail-biting 35-35 tie and produce a match for the ages.

Season 10, Match 74:

Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba were involved in another exhilarating encounter in Match 74 of Pro Kabaddi Season 10 at SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur. The game was a see-saw battle in the first half, before U Mumba secured a 14-13 lead over the two-time champions at half-time. Later, at the start of the second half, the Pink Panthers rode on V Ajith Kumar’s Super Raid to claim a lead after sending Rinku, Surinder Singh, and Mukilan Shanmugam to the bench. However, U Mumba fought back and were soon back on level terms by picking up bonus points, levelling the score at 25 with less than eight minutes left. The Pink Panthers held their nerve in the dying minutes to register a thrilling 31-29 victory in Jaipur. Star raider Arjun Deshwal was the standout performer for the two-time PKL champions with 11 points.

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