Dabang Delhi vs Bengal Warriors: Preview and Prediction

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Dabang Delhi are the only unbeaten team in PKL 8

The Dabang Delhi will take on the Bengal Warriors in the 19th match of the Pro Kabaddi League on 29th December, Wednesday at the Sheraton Grand in Bengaluru. It is a clash between two teams which are at the top of the points table and it promises to be an exciting clash.

Dabang Delhi is the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far with a couple of victories and a draw to their name in the three matches they have played so far. While the Bengal Warriors lost their previous match by just a solitary match against the Bengaluru Bulls.

How have they done so far?

Bengal Warriors started off from where they left off in the 2019 season with a couple of wins in the first two matches of the tournament. The Pardeep-led Yoddhas were handed a defeat by the defending champions in the first game as Maninder and Nabibaksh were aided by Sukesh Hedge and Darshan in an all-round team effort victory.

Maninder and Nabibaksh were instrumental again as the franchise edged out Gujarat Giants 31-28. The franchise came agonizingly close to registering a hat-trick of wins but fell short against Pawan Sehrawat’s Bulls.

Dabang Delhi is yet to lose in this edition and their balanced team has been off to a magnificent start. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone as the franchise had assembled an all-round team on the auction table. 

After getting better of Puneri Paltan and U Mumba in the first two matches, Delhi faced a stern test against the Manpreet Singh-coached Giants. Neither Delhi nor Gujarat grabbed a lead of more than 3 points in the match. Naveen’s composure helped Delhi to level scores in the final raid of the match.

Head to Head Record

Bengal Warriors hold a slender lead of 7-6 in the matches which have been played between the two sides. A couple of matches have been drawn in the past. The match is a repeat of the previous season’s final in which the Warriors were on the winning side and clinched the franchise’s first title in history.

Key Players

Maninder has picked 33 points in the league so far

Maninder has picked 33 points in the league so far

Naveen Kumar: The raider has been in stellar form in the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League as he has registered 3 super 10s in as many matches. He has single-handedly led Delhi to the top of the table who have struggled as a defensive unit. The raider has been on the mat for 87.69% of the time and has an out rate of just 5% in the league this season.

Maninder Singh: The Bengal Warriors skipper has been impressive this season and has enjoyed support from his teammates, unlike Naveen who has been a lone warrior on the mat for Dabang Delhi. Maninder has 33 points in this season but will have an advantage over his former teammate Jeeva Kumar who has been lackluster in PKL 8.

Predicted Starting 7s

Dabang Delhi: Naveen Kumar, Ajay Thakur, Jeeva Kumar, Ajay, Manjeet Chillar, Joginder Narwal, Sandeep Narwal

Bengal Warriors: Maninder Singh, Sukesh Hegde, Darshan J, Praveen Satpal, Rinku Narwal, Abozar Mighani, Mohammed Nabibaksh

Prediction

There is not much to separate the two teams in PKL 8 so far. However, with seasoned campaigners like Manjeet Chillar, Rahul Chaudhari, and Ajay Thakur in Dabang Delhi’s ranks, the team will be the favorites even as the Maninder-led franchise will do their best to bag a win. But the experience will come into play as two tough teams will take to the mat.

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