Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 16 (ANI): Arjun Deshwal was the star for Jaipur Pink Panthers as they thrashed U Mumba 44-28 in match 119 of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 8.

The young raider scored 17 points in a stellar display by the Season 1 champions against their playoff rivals. The victory helped Jaipur leapfrog Mumbai on the points table and become favourites for a playoff spot.

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Mumbai missed multiple opportunities to inflict an ALL OUT on Jaipur and that came back to haunt them in the second half. Their raider Ajith Kumar scored a Super 10 (11 points)

Mumbai started the match on the front foot with their raiders Abhishek Singh and Ajith Kumar looking in good form. Ajith clinched a 4-point Super Raid in the 4th minute to give his team an early advantage. But the other end, Arjun Deshwal picked points with ease.

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The former Mumbai raider found bonus points easily as Fazel Atrachali and his men took a cautious approach. The lack of tackles allowed Jaipur, who were playing without Deepak Hooda in the starting 7, to slowly take control of the match.

Their defenders, especially right-corner Brijendra Singh, also chipped in with tackle points to help clinch an ALL OUT with 4 minutes remaining. That gave the Pink Panthers a 6-point lead but Mumbai's defence slowly found its rhythm. They tackled Nitin Rawal and Arjun Deshwal in consecutive moves to end on a positive note. The scores were 17-14 with Jaipur in the lead at halftime.

Mumbai dominated the early minutes of the second half with their defence now getting the better of Arjun Deshwal. A 2-point raid by Ajith Kumar gave them an opportunity to inflict an ALL OUT but Jaipur fought back through Brijendra Singh.

He produced a stunning 3-point Super Raid to keep Jaipur in the ascendency. Ajith Kumar again produced a 2-point raid but Brijendra followed it up with another good raid. A Super Tackle in the 10th minute of the half by Nitin Rawal helped Jaipur open a 4-point lead. Pavan TR produced another Super Tackle as Jaipur made a mini-revival and opened a healthy lead.

Arjun Deshwal's 3-point Super Raid with 5 minutes remaining in the match gave Jaipur much-needed control. He clinched a Super 10 as Jaipur inflicted another ALL OUT with under 2 minutes remaining. That gave Jaipur a 9-point lead and took away Mumbai's chances of levelling the scores.

Arjun Deshwal's 5-point Super Raid in the final minute meant the Jaipur extended their lead to 16-points. The big margin in victory will help Jaipur in their race to seal a playoff spot. (ANI)

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