Puneri Paltan held their nerves in a dramatic finish to edge out Dabang Delhi KC 6-5 in a tie-breaker after both sides were locked 38-38 at the end of regulation time in the Pro Kabaddi League, in New Delhi, on Sunday.
The win, decided in the 10th tie-breaker of the season, took Puneri Paltan to the top of the table on points difference, with Pankaj Mohite (7 points) and skipper Aslam Inamdar (6) leading from the front.
Ajinkya Pawar's Super 10 and Saurabh Nandal's High Five went in vain as Delhi failed to capitalise on their second-half momentum.
Paltan dominated the early exchanges, racing to a 14-7 lead inside 10 minutes through sharp raids by Mohite and Aditya Shinde.
Delhi hit back strongly, though, with Ajinkya sparking a comeback that included an 'all out' to make it 21-20 at half-time.
The see-saw battle continued as Delhi inflicted a second All Out to lead 32-27, but Puneri clawed back with late brilliance from Aslam and Mohit Goyat to force a 38-38 tie at the end of regulation time.
In the tie-breaker, Aditya Shinde and Mohit Goyat struck crucial points as Puneri held off Delhi's late push to seal a narrow 6-5 win and climb to the top spot.