Dabang Delhi K.C. continued to consolidate their spot at the top of the table, clinching another thriller against Jaipur Pink Panthers to register a 29-26 win at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Monday. With that win, the table-toppers completed the double over the two-time champions.
In a match that saw the defenders dominate, Sandeep registered a high five with seven tackle points, while Ashu Malik contributed with eight raid points. For the Pink Panthers, Reza Mirbagheri and Deepanshu Khatri recorded high fives, with Aryan Kumar also amassing four tackle points. Unfortunately for them, that wasn’t enough for their team to get over the line.
Ashu Malik did what he does best, setting the tone for his team with a super raid to open their account with a three-point lead. Deepanshu Khatri registered the Pink Panthers’ first point with a tackle, and it was their defence that ensured that they stayed in the contention during the early exchanges.
Fazel Atrachali bagged his first tackle to help Dabang Delhi hold onto a two-point lead, before a couple of tackles from Aryan Kumar, followed by a raid from Meetu levelled the score. An ankle hold from Deepanshu Khatri gave the Pink Panthers their first lead of the night, concluding the first quarter with the score at 6-5.
The defences slowly began to take charge of the contest with the tempo slowing down. Sandeep registered four tackles in the first half, while Ajinkya Pawar’s multi-point raid retained a two-point lead for the table-toppers. However, the closing stages of the half belonged to Reza Mirbagheri, who executed a couple of super tackles to complete his high five, giving Pink Panthers a 13-12 lead at half time.
The teams continued to trade blows with defenders dictating terms in this engaging contest. Vinay bagged a two-point raid to give the Pink Panthers the lead again, before Ashu Malik secured a two-point raid of his own, registering the first all out of the game to help Dabang Delhi get their noses in front again.
Sandeep completed his high five with a couple of tackles, while Ajinkya Pawar also chipped in to help the Joginder Narwal-led side establish a five-point lead. The tackles continued to fly in as Deepanshu Khatri completed his high five, becoming the third player on the night to achieve that feat.
Despite not having his most efficient performance, Ashu Malik continued to chip away to ensure Dabang Delhi K.C. hold onto their four-point lead with five minutes to go. A tackle by Saurabh Nandal built on that lead, but a super tackle by Aashish Kumar reduced the deficit back to three points for Jaipur Pink Panthers.
A super tackle by Aryan Kumar gave Jaipur Pink Panthers an opportunity with only a point separating the two sides. In the end, Neeraj Narwal came in clutch with a tackle Neeraj Narwal on Ali Samadi and then wrapped up proceedings with the final raid of the game, ensuring the table-toppers complete the double over their opponents with a 29-26 win.