Bengaluru Bulls confirmed their place in the top eight with a comprehensive 33-23 win against Dabang Delhi K.C. in a Season 12 match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium here on Saturday. Alireza Mirzaian notched another Super 10, also registering the most raid points by an overseas player in a PKL Season.
The Bulls defenders also played their part with Sanjay registering four tackles, and Yogesh and Deepak bagging three tackles each. The win also helps Bengaluru Bulls move to third place on the points table. Meanwhile, Mohit Deswal was the standout player for Dabang Delhi with seven touch points and four tackle points.
Dabang Delhi K.C. took a three-point lead in the initial exchanges with Akshit Dhull and Mohit Deswal frontlining as the two raiders. Surjeet Singh marked the first tackle of the game, before Aashish Malik opened Bengaluru Bulls’ account, and their captain followed it up with a tackle.
It was a sedate start between the two sides as they played to the Do-Or-Die strategy. The Bulls moved into the lead courtesy of their defence registering a couple of tackles, and Alireza Mirzaian also getting himself on the board. However, the Season 8 champions got themselves back on level terms with the score at 6-6 after ten minutes.
With the defenders dictating terms in the first half, Mohit Deswal bagged three tackle points for his side, while Deepak Sankar also bagged a couple of tackles. Akash Shinde marked his first points with a two-point raid, giving Bengaluru Bulls a narrow 12-10 lead in a tactical first half.
With the two teams still playing to the Do-Or-Die strategy, the Bulls eventually added some impetus in the second half with Alireza chipping away on the offensive end. His team’s defence also held firm, giving them a seven-point lead after Sanjay struck with a tackle to inflict an ALL OUT on Dabang Delhi.
The Season 6 champions held an eight-point advantage heading into the final ten minutes of the game. They further stamped their authority with Alireza Mirzaian producing a Super Raid. Mohit Deswal did his best to keep Dabang Delhi in the game, but they soon conceded a second ALL OUT with Sanjay producing the goods again.
As a result, the Bulls held a fifteen-point lead with five minutes to go. Mohit fought till the end for Dabang Delhi, scoring eleven points on the night. They also inflicted an ALL OUT on their opponents, but that was too little too late for them to get back into the game. Bengaluru Bulls eventually sealed the deal with a 33-23 win, confirming their place in the playoffs.