PKL: Dabang Delhi and Patna Pirates triumph in thrilling encounters

Dabang Delhi remained unbeaten with a clinical win over Tamil Thalaivas, while Patna Pirates edged out Bengal Warriorz in a closely fought contest in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) on Sunday.

Dabang Delhi secured a commanding 32-21 victory over Tamil Thalaivas, thanks to a Super 10 performance by Naveen Kumar, who notched 11 raid points. The win propelled Delhi to second place on the points table as they head into the Pune leg of the tournament.

The match started as a cagey affair, with both teams trading points early on. Tamil Thalaivas' Ranjith Chandran and Yogesh impressed in defence, keeping Delhi’s Ashu Malik in check. However, Naveen Kumar’s relentless raiding kept Delhi in the hunt, ensuring a level scoreline of 12-12 at halftime.

In the second half, the "Naveen Express" shifted gears, delivering a stunning Super Raid in the final 10 minutes, which earned four crucial points and inflicted an All-Out on the Thalaivas. Ashu Malik added to the tally with a two-point raid, sealing the win for Delhi. Despite a spirited effort by Moein Shafaghi, Tamil Thalaivas fell short, suffering an 11-point defeat.

Patna Pirates edge past Bengal Warriorz

Patna Pirates emerged victorious in a 38-35 thriller against Bengal Warriorz, with Devank Dalal’s Super 10 and a milestone achievement by Bengal’s Maninder Singh dominating headlines.

The first half saw a back-and-forth contest, with Bengal’s defence neutralizing Patna’s raiding duo of Dalal and Ayan Lohchab. Maninder Singh, in his trademark aggressive style, led Bengal’s charge, keeping the scoreline tight. However, a Super Raid by Devank Dalal turned the tide, giving Patna a four-point lead at halftime.

In the second half, Patna inflicted the first All-Out on Bengal, capitalizing on Deepak’s High 5 performance. Ayan Lohchab’s Super Raid further extended their lead. Bengal mounted a late comeback, with Mayur Kadam executing a crucial Super Tackle and Maninder Singh completing his Super 10.

Maninder’s historic milestone of 1500 Raid Points made him only the second player in PKL history to achieve the feat, following Pardeep Narwal. Despite his heroics, Bengal fell short by three points, allowing the three-time champions Patna Pirates to claim the win.