Pune, Dec 12 Riding on Naveen Kumar’s Super 10 and Ashu Malik’s 9 points, Dabang Delhi K.C. clinched a crucial victory against Telugu Titans, winning 33-27 in a Season 11 clash of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Badminton Hall in Balewadi Sports Complex here on Thursday.
With Naveen and Ashu Malik in super form, Dabang Delhi K.C. won the match in a tightly-fought contest that held a lot of significance for the playoffs race as the result helped them move to second place on the points table.
Despite the loss, Pawan Sehrawat and his side are still in the hunt for the playoffs. However, the result does mean the end of the road for Gujarat Giants this season, who become the first side to officially be eliminated from the playoff race.
The two teams got off the blocks quickly with Vijay Malik getting the first points on the board for Telugu Titans. Pawan Sehrawat didn’t waste much time and made his presence felt on his return to the mat, giving his side a good start on the attacking front.
For Dabang Delhi K.C., Ashu Malik set the tone with a two-point raid as the teams traded blows in the opening exchanges.
Naveen Kumar also contributed for Dabang Delhi K.C., making it an intriguing contest with both sides going toe-to-toe. In a do-or-die raid, Vijay Malik bagged two points to put pressure on the opposition. Afterwards, Mohit completed the job, inflicting an all-out on Dabang Delhi K.C. to give his side an invaluable lead.
The duo of Naveen Kumar and Ashu Malik kept Dabang Delhi K.C. in the game, closing the gap for their side. However, at the end of a competitive first half, it was Telugu Titans that held onto a four-point lead at 17-13.
Dabang Delhi came out strong in the second half, completed an all-out of their own and levelled the score at 18 points apiece. Telugu Titans sprung back into action with Pawan Sehrawat and Vijay Malik, regaining a five-point lead in quick time. Only two points were separating the two sides going into the final phase of the game, with Telugu Titans leading 24-22.
Praful Zaware bagged a couple of crucial points to keep Telugu Titans at par with the opposition. However, Dabang Delhi got some momentum at the right time as Naveen completed his Super 10, to give his side a four-point lead with under three minutes to go. That proved to be the final blow for the Telugu Titans, who succumbed to a 33-27 defeat.
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