Dabang Delhi KC, Telugu Titans and Jaipur Pink Panthers emerged victorious on triple-header Saturday in Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.
Dabang Delhi K.C. earned a much-needed 30-27 victory over Patna Pirates. In a game of defenders taking centrestage for both sides, Delhi’s Vishal and Amit Hooda scored 5 tackle points each, while Patna’s Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh set the record for the most tackle points in a single game (16 points) in the history of the tournament.
Spurred on by their home fans, the Telugu Titans produced a fantastic performance to defeat U Mumba 32-26 and ended their 12-match losing streak. Siddharth Desai was the star for the home side with 9 points in the match.
In the first match of the evening, Jaipur Pink Panthers put up a clinical performance to defeat U.P. Yoddhas 42-29. Arjun Deshwal emerged as the best player for the Pink Panthers with a whopping 19 points in the game.
Vijay Malik picked up a few raid points as the Dabang Delhi K.C. side took the lead at 9-3 in the 7th minute. The Pirates were on the verge of getting all out, but they tackled Naveen Kumar and stayed afloat. The Delhi side had more opportunities to pick up an all out, but Ranjit Naik in the raiding department and Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh in defense kept them at bay.
The Pirates carried out a Super Tackle in the 16th minute and reached within touching distance of Delhi’s score at 10-12. Naveen found it difficult to breach the opponent’s defense, but the team from the capital city managed to stay in the lead at 14-12.
The Pirates hung in there and eventually levelled the scores at 14-14 in the 24th minute. Neeraj Kumar and Chiyaneh pulled off a Super Tackle in the 27th minute and helped their side to take the lead at 17-16. The defensive duo carried out another Super Tackle soon after as the Pirates kept forging ahead.
However, the Delhi defense also showcased top form, disallowing the Pirates to pull ahead with a big lead. But, Neeraj and Chiyaneh kept carrying out tackles and helped the Pirates stay in the lead at 21-19 in the 33rd minute. The Delhi side finally managed to inflict an all out in the 34th minute and regained the lead at 23-22.
Dabang Delhi K.C. defense unit carried out a couple of fantastic tackles to help their team extend their lead at 27-23 in the 37th minute. Chiyaneh and Gulia picked up raid points in the last few minutes of the match, but Delhi’s raider Malik ensured that his team walks off the mat as winners of the match.
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