Dabang Delhi, Haryana Steelers score victories in Pro Kabaddi League

Dabang Delhi K.C. bagged their third victory of the season with a close 33-30 win over the Bengal Warriorz at the GMCB Indoor Stadium at Gachibowli, Hyderabad on Thursday. In another match, Haryana Steelers returned to winning ways after an impressive 35-22 victory over the Gujarat Giants at the same venue.

Led by Ashu Malik’s seventh Super 10 in eight matches, and contributions from Vinay and Ashish, Dabang Delhi got over the line despite Nitin Dhankar scoring 15 points for the Bengal Warriorz.

Bengal Warriorz started the game on the front foot as Mighty Mani and Fazel Atrachali hit the ground running with a bonus point and a tackle point respectively. The start seemed to be a statement from the Season 7 champions, but they didn’t make the most of having Ashu Malik being off the mat. With a solid effort on the defensive end from Dabang Delhi K.C, they kept themselves in the game in the opening exchanges.

It was Ashish who helped them level things up with a two-point raid. After the defensive units for both sides kept dictating the tempo of the game, it was a couple of errors from Bengal Warriorz that gave Dabang Delhi K.C. the lead. They carried on with that momentum in the closing stages of the first half, inflicting an ALL OUT to take a six-point lead. Ashu Malik had the better of his opposite number a couple of times too, ensuring that his team lead 19-13 at the end of the first half.

Nitin Dhankar picked up his Super 10 early in the second half, almost singlehandedly keeping the Bengal Warriorz in the contest.

Dabang Delhi K.C. continued their forays in the second half, with Ashu and then Vinay entering the party for their side. Nitin was the main aggressor for the Bengal Warriorz, but the support was lacking from his teammates. At this point, the skipper stepped up and completed his High 5 to keep his team in the game.

Towards the last phase of the game, Nitin Dhankar managed to reach 15 points in the gap and close the gap down to four points. However, Ashu Malik was in complete control, completing a Super 10 of his own and ensuring that his side went on to end their four-match losing streak with an impress win.

Steelers defeat Gujarat Giants

Vinay was Haryana Steelers’ main player on the night with his nine raid points, but he was ably supported by his teammates to help their side to a comfortable victory.

Guman Singh started off well for the Gujarat Giants, but Vinay for the Haryana Steelers stole an early lead with an impressive Super Raid just one minute into the game. This move spurred his team into action, and soon, Naveen and Jaya Soorya joined the action for the Steelers.

Having gone ahead early in the match, the Haryana Steelers made life tough for the Gujarat Giants. Guman turned all-rounder for his side, keeping them in the game on a consistent basis, but did not receive enough support from his teammates. At the same time, Vinay's imposing raids saw him score 8 touch points at the end of the first half, as the score read 18-13 at the halftime stage.

The script of the second half was the same as the first half, as the Haryana Steelers continued to build the pressure on their opponents. The match was played mostly on the Do-Or-Die raids, as Balaji D won a point to get Jaya Soorya for Haryana Steelers, while Himanshu Singh was dismissed by Jaideep.

For every point that the Gujarat Giants scored, the Haryana Steelers had a response. Guman Singh carried his team throughout, but it was not enough as their side faced their first ALL OUT of the match with 2 minutes remaining.

In the end, it was an all-round performance from the Haryana Steelers, led by their raider Vinay. His 9 points, alongside Mohammadreza Shadloui's 6 points, ensured a comfortable victory over the Gujarat Giants.

Tags : PKL11, Pro Kabaddi League, Dabang Delhi, Haryana Steelers, Bengal Warriorz, Gujarat GiantsAshu Malik, Nitin Dhankar