Both jaipur pink panthers

Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex: Bhavani Rajput was in brilliant form as he helped UP Yoddhas dominate Jaipur Pink Panthers 48-18 in a one-sided affair in Eliminator 1 to kick start the Playoff rounds of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 and sealed a place in the semifinals at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here on Thursday. The UP Yoddhas produced a scintillating display of kabaddi, with Bhavani Rajput (12 points) and Hitesh with High-5 playing the starring roles. The UP Yoddhas will now face the Haryana Steelers in semifinal 1 on Friday.

Both Jaipur Pink Panthers and UP Yoddhas took time to get going as they made a cautious start to the Playoff stage. While all eyes were on Jaipur Pink Panthers’ Arjun Deshwal in the early exchanges, the duo of Bhavani Rajput and Bharat put the UP Yoddhas out in front. It took the UP Yoddhas just seven minutes to land their first All Out of the match, which propelled them into a six-point lead.

The UP Yoddhas’ superb start saw them pick up a nine-point lead within the first 10 minutes, which left the Jaipur Pink Panthers on the back foot. The dominance continued as the half wore on. Bhavani Rajput was leading the way in attack while the defenders were giving him a solid platform.