Patna, Jan 31 : The Jaipur Pink Panthers beat the Tamil Thalaivas 42-27 in their Pro Kabaddi League match at the Patliputra Indoor Stadium in Patna on Wednesday.

The win meant the Jaipur Pink Panthers have become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season, with three legs of the league stage yet to be played. As has been his wont this season Arjun Deshwal starred for the Jaipur Pink Panthers with a massive 13 points while the Tamil Thalaivas' raider Narender picked up 12 in a losing effort.

In a first half defined mostly by extraordinary moments, Narender kicked things off with a super raid to take out Reza Mirbagheri, Ankush and Sunil Kumar to put the Tamil Thalaivas in control. Not to be outdone, Arjun Deshwal responded in kind with a super raid of his own that reduced the Tamil Thalaivas numbers on the mat.



It took a pair of brilliant super tackle from the Thalaivas' debutant Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi to keep his side in the same and even hold a slender two point lead as they went into the break.



The second half though was a different game altogether as the Jaipur Pink Panthers banded together and came to the fore to show their championship credentials.



Deshwal's constant menace had the Tamil Thalaivas scrambling and they inflicted the first all out of the game to take a 27-20 lead halfway through the second half.



A second all-out with four minutes of the game left ended the contest as the Jaipur Pink Panthers took a massive 37-22 lead. Their misfiring defence which had logged a mere three points in the first half clicked brilliantly to come back with 11 in the second period, a huge reason for their resounding victory.



/IANS