Ankit Rana was outstanding: Patna Pirates eye revival after late comeback earns crucial win

Patna Pirates delivered a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to end Dabang Delhi K.C.’s six-match winning streak, edging them 33-30 at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday. Substitute raider Ankit Rana was the star of the night, scoring 12 raid points that turned the tide in favour of the three-time champions.

Head coach Anup Kumar admitted the victory carried extra sweetness, given Patna’s recent struggles. “The happiness of this win is special. We had been struggling in recent matches, so to turn it around against a team that had won six in a row feels even better,” he said.

Kumar was quick to credit Rana for sparking the turnaround. “Ankit Rana completely changed the game for us. He had trained hard in pre-camp, and today he proved why we backed him,” the coach said. “If our NYP players step up like this, it lifts the whole team.”

There were tense moments on the sidelines when Kumar was seen animatedly arguing with officials over a substitution. He later played it down: “Sometimes emotions run high on the sidelines. My reaction was only in the heat of the moment.”

The coach also acknowledged the improved performance of raider Ayan Lohchab, who had been under scrutiny. “Ayan has all the skills. Our focus is on making sure he stays mentally strong after setbacks on the mat,” he explained.

Captain Ankit Jaglan highlighted how the new format gave them the edge in closing out the contest. “Those last raids changed everything. With the new format, we were able to close the game instead of going into a tie-breaker. It gives fans a clear winner,” he said.

Jaglan also lauded the collective effort but singled out Rana’s contribution. “Everyone contributed today, but Ankit Rana was outstanding. His 12 raid points gave us the momentum. I’m proud of how the team fought till the end.”

Please find below the previews for the PKL Season 12 matches on Saturday, September 27:

The Patna Pirates have twice beaten top teams but otherwise struggled for consistency, leaving their defence worryingly porous; against Bengal Warriorz, who rely overwhelmingly on Dhaakad Devank Dalal’s red-hot raiding (seven straight Super 10s and the league’s best raid average), expect a high-scoring, attack-led contest where the winner will be the side whose supporting cast finally answers the star act.

The Jaipur Pink Panthers arrive with momentum and an in-form raiding unit – Nitin Kumar’s flying high with multiple Super 10s – while Tamil Thalaivas lean heavily on Arjun Deshwal’s individual class but have been hampered by uneven support and defensive lapses; add the emotional subplot of Arjun facing his old side and you get a tense, tactical clash where the collective rhythm and home comfort should give them the edge unless Arjun produces a match-winning masterclass.

Tickets are available on District by Zomato, the official ticketing platform for PKL Season 12: https://www.district.in/events/pkl-2025-jaipur-team

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The Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 is being broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar from 7:30 pm onwards.