Dabang Delhi get past Patna Pirates in a last-minute thriller to move at the top of the table
The Patna Pirates faced the Dabang Delhi in the first game of the night in Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 on Tuesday here at Bengaluru. Both sides have been in great form so far in the tournament and it was on display during the match between these two heavyweights.
The Delhi side stepped onto the mat without their strike raider Naveen Kumar, who was excluded from the team due to an injury. On the other hand, Monu Goyat missed the game for the Pirates as the raider is suffering from fatigue. Delhi created an upper hand over the Pirates in the first ten minutes of the first half as the side rotated between Ashu Malik, Vijay, and Sandeep Narwal, with all three picking up points for their side.
Delhi dealt the first all-out of the game upon Patna in the 13th minute of the game, as Ashu managed to get past both Mohammadreza Chiyaneh and Neeraj to pick up two + two points for his side, giving them a six-point lead. Delhi capitalized on the lead as they created a nine-point lead over the Pirates at the end of the first half.
Patna made a strong comeback in the game against Delhi. They returned the favor inflicting an all-out on Delhi in the 31st minute of the game reducing the lead to just one point. The Delhi-based side got a bit comfortable with their lead in the second half and made a few mistakes that cost them their lead.
Riding on the momentum, the Patna-based franchise made no mistakes to equalize the score. With just five minutes remaining in the game, a great two-point raid by Guman Singh helped the Pirates equalize the score. The Pirates tried to keep the score even but a super raid by Vijay in the 37th minute of the game turned the tide of the game in the favor of Dabang Delhi.
Prashant Rai in struggle as he attempts to escape a tackle attempt from the Delhi defenders
The Delhi-based franchise was able to maintain their lead until the final whistle as both sides went back-and-forth picking up points in both offense and defense. Delhi will be delighted with their win over Patna as the side was able to get past one of the strongest teams in the league without their strike raider Naveen Kumar.
Vijay and Sandeep were the best players for their side as the two picked up nine and eight points respectively for the Delhi side. Prashant was the top scorer for the Pirates picking up six points on offense and he was supported by Neeraj who was yet again solid in defense bagging four points.
The Pirates, on the other hand, will be disappointed with their performance as they got very close to even the odds, but bottled their chances in the closing minutes of the game. Apart from Prashant Kumar Rai, none of their raiders were able to make an impact against the Delhi side.
The side will hope that Monu Goyat can be available for their upcoming game with the Bengaluru Bulls on 20th January. Dabang Delhi, on the other side, will hope to keep their winning streak alive and prove that they can win games without Naveen. The Delhi side will lock horns with the Haryana Steelers in their next fixture on the 21st of January.