PKL 12: Under the leadership of super-sub Akshit, Delhi defeated the Thalaivas and leveled points with Puneri Paltan.
Dabang Delhi vs Tamil Thaliavas
Dabang Delhi K.C. faced a tough challenge from Tamil Thalaivas but managed to secure a crucial 37-31 victory on Friday at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium. Akshit Dhull was the star raider of the night, coming in as a substitute and scoring 12 points. Veteran Fazel Atrachali provided solid support with a High-5 performance.
With this win, Delhi drew level on points with table-toppers Puneri Paltan, while Arjun Deshwal also bagged a Super 10 — though it eventually went in vain.
Tamil Thalaivas, led by Arjun Deshwal, took an early lead in the match. Sagar Rathi tackled Neeraj Narwal, and Ashish dismissed Ajinkya in Delhi’s next raid.
After several successful raids that saw the likes of Saurabh Nandal and Fazel Atrachali getting out, Arjun’s brilliant form continued as he took out Surjeet Singh and Akshit in a single raid, inflicting the first All Out of the match on Delhi. This gave Thalaivas a strong advantage, leading 13-6 at the end of the first 10 minutes.
Despite Thalaivas’ impressive start, Dabang Delhi mounted pressure on their opponents in the second quarter. The Thalaivas were eventually All Out as super-sub Akshit took charge of the raiding department, dismissing Arulnathababu and Ashish in one move.
Fazel tackled Arjun Deshwal before Moin Shafaghi was tackled by Sandeep, helping Delhi gradually claw their way back into the contest. Still, Thalaivas kept their composure, and Arjun completed his Super 10 on a do-or-die raid at the end of the first half, taking the score to 19-16.
Five minutes into the second half, Season 8 champions Dabang Delhi equalized the score to stage a comeback. Naveen dismissed Raunak in a successful raid before Surjeet tackled Moin to give Delhi the lead. With the comeback complete, the pressure was now on Tamil Thalaivas as the third quarter ended 23-23.
Akshit gave Delhi the edge in the second half with a do-or-die raid that saw him take out Mohit and Raunak in a single move. That moment turned the tide in Delhi’s favor, and when Fazel Atrachali tackled Ashish, the Thalaivas suffered another All Out, giving Delhi an unassailable lead.
Akshit completed his Super 10 and then dismissed Sagar Rathi, extending Delhi’s lead to four points in the second half. Sandeep tackled Shafaghi, and Fazel took out Arjun before completing his High-5 in the dying moments of the match. By the end, only three Thalaivas players were left on the mat as Dabang Delhi wrapped up a superb six-point victory.
