With the 2021-22 season of the Pro Kabaddi League entering the second half, Dabang Delhi is one of the contenders for the trophy. The Joginder Singh Narwal-led side has been in the top half throughout the season and is in a good position occupying the third spot with 32 points from 9 matches.
A team that has been a part of the PKL since its inception, Delhi had to wait for its sixth season to reach the playoffs. In the previous edition of the competition, they perched at the top after the conclusion of the league stages but lost the final to eventual winners Bengal Warriors.
With regards to this season’s performance, here are five things you should know about Dabang Delhi.
#5 Dabang Delhi’s raider Naveen Kumar has 28 consecutive Super 10’s in a row
The 21-year-old Naveen Kumar raided opposition defenders for fun last season to help his side reach the final. Representing Delhi again, he continued his heroics and extended his streak of consecutive ‘Super 10’s’ to 28 matches. However, his hot streak of form came to a screeching halt against the Jaipur Pink Panthers when he was allowed to pick only 7 raid points.
Naveen has a very simple style of raiding. He will go ahead and pick up the bonus quickly and aim for just one touchpoint before returning. Unlike other raiders who aim for a multi-point raid and end up being tackled, Naveen is patient enough and has 133 total points for his showing in just eight matches.
#4 The biggest loss of PKL 8 featured Dabang Delhi losing 22-61 to Bengaluru Bulls
Pawan Sehrawat ran riot against Dabang Delhi’s defense in that match
The top-of-the-table clash between Bengaluru Bulls and Dabang Delhi turned into a lopsided contest as Delhi lost 22-61. The Patna Pirates previously held the record after beating U Mumba by a 20-point margin. However, it seems like this 39-point deficit will stay its course for the entirety of this season.
The absence of Naveen Express affected Delhi massively as their raiders were able to collect only 16 points in that match. Their head coach Krishan Kumar Hooda should start considering a Plan B in case Naveen is unavailable for selection.
#3 Dabang Delhi is only second to Bengaluru Bulls’ raiding department
Led by Naveen Kumar, Delhi has a prolific raiding department which is visible in their tally of 21.67 average raid points per match. Only the Bengaluru Bulls have a higher figure with their tally of 23.5 raid points putting them in pole position.
However, they remain overdependent on the Naveen Express. The likes of Vijay Malik and Ashu Malik have picked up points while surging forward but have a long way to go before taking over the mantle.
#2 Dabang Delhi averages the lowest tackle point per game
Dabang Delhi’s Naveen Kumar celebrates after winning a match
For a team that has a high-flying raiding department, the same cannot be said about their defensive unit. Delhi averages just 7.44 tackle points per game and lies rock bottom in this particular statistic.
The Patna Pirates lead the chart with 11.56 tackles per game and are followed by Tamil Thalaivas at 11.11. The likes of Joginder Narwal, Manjeet Chillar, and Sandeep Narwal need to pull up their socks as their defenders have failed to notch up a single ‘High 5.’
#1 Dabang Delhi has the lowest Do-or-Die raid points
Delhi have just 11 Do-or-Die raid points to their name from 9 matches and occupy the lowest spot in the list. This is largely because their raiders scarcely find themselves in such a spot because of Naveen Kumar’s ability to amass points whenever he goes forward.
The team also lacks specialist Do-or-Die raiders like Tamil Thalaivas’ Ajinkya Pawar or Puneri Paltan’s Aslam Inamdar. This is another avenue where Delhi should focus on next season while building their team.