Dabang Delhi gets back on winning track with a nail-biting finish over Haryana Steelers
Dabang Delhi got back on winning ways in the 55th game of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 as they were able to get past the Haryana Steelers in a last-minute finish. Vijay Malik was the star of the show for Delhi tonight, as the raider picked up eleven points for his side.
Dabang Delhi will be happy with their win tonight against the Steelers after the side was humiliated by the Bengaluru Bulls in their previous fixture. Both Haryana and Delhi were evenly contested throughout the entire game with the defenders dominating the majority of the game.
Naveen Kumar had a very slow start to the game as the star raider was tackled four times in the first ten minutes of the game. Naveen was unable to complete the game as the raider had to be subbed out after an injury scare in the 19th minute of the game.
The raider was seen holding his knee in pain and had to be taken out immediately. The Dabang Delhi management will hope that the injury isn’t a major issue and the player can make a comeback in the upcoming games.
Both the teams were even at halftime with eleven points each. Delhi took a cautious approach in the second half, as both Ashu Malik and Vijay played on the third-raid and tried to slow down the pace of the game. For the Steelers, skipper Vikash Kandola had a disappointing night, as the raider just picked up three points in the entire game.
Meetu Mahender on the other had picked up five points for his side and gave his side a two-point lead in the final minutes of the game, as the raider escaped a tackle attempt by the Dabang Delhi defenders. Although, the lead did not last for long as Vijay turned the tide of the game with a super raid in the very next attempt.
Vijay’s super raid gave Dabang Delhi a three-point lead, as the side were able to avoid their second consecutive defeat this season. Both the teams excelled on defense tonight as Haryana picked up nine points compared to the eight bagged by the Delhi defenders.
Manjeet Chillar instructing Naveen Kumar to avoid going too deep against the Steelers’ defense
Delhi will be happy with their win tonight as Manjeet Chillar seemed far more composed than his previous outings and was patient during tackles, and did not make any advanced attempts. The veteran player was leading the Dabang Delhi side tonight in the absence of regular skipper Joginder Narwal who was unavailable due to injury.
Manjeet picked up three tackle points and was the top defender at the end of the final whistle. Dabang Delhi coach Krishan Kumar Hooda will be happy with his team’s performance tonight and will hope that the team can continue to take this momentum ahead to their upcoming fixtures.
The Steelers on the other hand will be upset with the loss as they had the game in their grasp but were unable to maintain their lead in the closing minutes of the game. Skipper Vikash has been inconsistent and will have to produce better results in the upcoming game.