Dabang Delhi K.C. completed a double over Gujarat Giants with a hard-fought 39-33 victory in Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium here on Friday. In the absence of Ashu Malik, Akshit Dhull was the star of the show for his side, coming off the bench to register a Super 10.
Himanshu Singh registered a Super 10 for Gujarat Giants, with Mohammadreza Shadloui and Himanshu Jaglan also securing High Fives. Unfortunately for them, it wasn’t enough for their team to get over the line. It was a high-octane start for both teams with Rakesh and Neeraj Narwal opening the scoring for their respective sides.
Surjeet Singh and Mohammadreza Shadloui also registered tackles, setting the tempo for a competitive clash. Gujarat Giants upped the ante courtesy Rohit Nandal and Lucky Sharma, before Ajinkya Pawar responded with a Super Raid to keep the two sides level at 9-9 after the first quarter.
With the Giants down to two players on the mat, Neeraj Narwal registered the first ALL OUT of the game, giving his side a four-point lead. After a tightly contested opening ten minutes, the table-toppers began to stamp their authority on the game.
They opened a nine-point gap before the Giants struck back with a Super Tackle by Visvanth. However, contributions from Neeraj Narwal, Ajinkya Pawar, and Surjeet Singh ensured that Dabang Delhi K.C. stayed in the driver’s seat as they scored 12 points in the next ten minutes, compared to Gujarat’s five points.
For the Giants, Himanshu Singh chipped in with four raid points towards the end of the first half, which was dominated by their opponents, with the score at 21-14. Gujarat Giants began the second half with a Super Tackle by Himanshu Jaglan as they looked to fight back in this contest.
Shadloui soon bagged a couple of Super Tackles, completing his High Five and cutting the deficit down to three points in the process. A tackle by Fazel Atrachali gave Dabang Delhi some breathing room, but that didn’t last long as Himanshu Jaglan recorded another crucial tackle, helping the Giants level the score with under eight minutes to play.
The tackles continued to fly in as Sandeep’s Super Tackle helped Dabang Delhi regain a narrow advantage. Himanshu Singh’s multi-point raid got the teams back to where they began, but it was Akshit Dhull’s two-point raids that kept Dabang Delhi in front.
The youngster then executed a brilliant Super Raid, giving his side a five-point lead (34-29) with under two minutes to go. Himanshu Singh did his utmost to keep the Giants in the hunt for a fightback, but Akshit Dhull stole the headlines towards the end.
With only three points separating the two sides, he was the last player on the mat for Dabang Delhi on their final raid. He held his nerve in the end, sealing the deal for his side with a Super Raid and also completing his Super 10 to ensure Dabang Delhi K.C. prevail 39-33 in an engaging contest.