Dabang Delhi K.C. remained unbeaten in the Noida leg of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 11 after their excellent 32-21 win over the Tamil Thalaivas at the Noida Indoor Stadium on December 1. In what was the penultimate match of the Noida leg, Naveen Kumar’s 11 raid points – his second Super 10 of the season, took the team to second on the points table heading to Pune.
Dabang Delhi get the better of Tamil Thalaivas
A close encounter defined the opening minutes of the game as the Dabang Delhi K.C. and Tamil Thalaivas took their time to get into their groove. It was the Tamil Thalaivas who started the scoring when Ranjith Chandran got the dangerous Ashu Malik with a swift defence. Yogesh then entered the fray with an excellent block to deny Moein Shafaghi any points, before Naveen Kumar displayed the prowess that he is known for to keep on the toes of the Tamil Thalaivas.
Ashu Malik was kept quiet by the Tamil Thalaivas but they had no answer to the Naveen Express. Just when it looked like the Dabang Delhi K.C. would begin to extend their lead, Moein Shafagi entered the fray with an impressive 4 raid points and 2 tackle points at the end of the first half. But he too fell victim to the defensive prowess of Gaurav who blocked him to complete a Super Tackle. At the end of the first half, the score read an even 12-12, setting the stage for an exciting second 20 minutes.
It was a similar script at the start of the second half as there was nothing to separate the two teams. For every point won by the likes of Amir Hossein Bastami, there was Naveen Kumar who prevailed in the Do-Or-Die raids, as both teams were in their best form.
As the match entered the final 10 minutes, Naveen Kumar upped the ante. He picked up a massive four points with a Super Raid that got Moein Shafaghi, Aashish, Amir Hossein Bastami and Abhishek Manokaran. This move also brought up his Super 10 and decimated more than half of the Tamil Thalaivas. Rahul’s successful tackle on Ranjith Chandran inflicted the ALL OUT on the Tamil Thalaivas, giving the Dabang Delhi K.C. a well-earned lead.
Ashu Malik also joined the party with a two-point raid as the match entered in final two minutes. Despite the challenge posed by Moein Shafagi, the lack of support from the other players ensured another impressive 11-point win over the Tamil Thalaivas.
Devank Dalal leads Patna Pirates to win over Bengal Warriorz
In another match, it was a closely fought match to the very end but the Patna Pirates eventually prevailed over the Bengal Warriorz with a 38-35 win. Devank Dalal reached 194 Raid Points with another Super 10, and finished with 13 points in total, while Deepak completed a well-earned High 5. If not for the loss, it would have also been a night to remember for Bengal Warriorz’ star raider Maninder Singh, who completed 1500 Raid Points in the PKL – a feat only matched by Pardeep Narwal.
The Bengal Warriorz showed their true mettle in the first half as the defence kept the raiding duo of Devank Dalal and Ayan Lohchab quiet. Both teams traded points in a see-saw battle as Maninder Singh led the charge for the Bengal Warriorz in his trademark aggressive raiding style.
With no sign of any team taking a comprehensive lead, Devank emerged as a standout performer for the Patna Pirates. As the first 20 minutes came to a close, it was Devank– once again – who gave his team the lead. A Super Raid got Fazel Atrachali and Mayur Kadam, as his team took a four-point lead, with the score reading 19-15 at the end of the first half.
Maninder Singh and Nitin Kumar Dhankar kept the pressure on the Patna Pirates but it was only the two of them who was the main aggressors for the Bengal Warriorz. Meanwhile, Ayan Lohchab also earned an impressive Super Raid, getting Nitesh Kumar, Maninder Singh and Siddhesh Tatkare off the mat. The first ALL OUT was soon inflicted on the Bengal Warriorz, after Deepak successfully tackled Nitin as the Patna Pirates began to run away with the lead.
As the match entered a crucial stage, the Bengal Warriorz closed in on the Patna Pirates’ lead. Mayur Kadam trapped Ayan in a Do-Or-Die raid, which also was a Super Tackle, and then Vishwas S got Arkam Shaikh and Deepak to reduce the deficit between the two teams.
As the match came to a close, mighty Maninder etched his name in history books after reaching the milestone of 1500 Raid Points, becoming just the second player to do so after Pardeep Narwal. He also completed his Super 10, helping his team come close to the Patna Pirates, but it was not enough at the end of the night, with the three-time PKL champions winning by a close margin of three points.
