Dabang Delhi KC showcased a commanding performance in the 12th season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), defeating Bengaluru Bulls with a score of 41-34. The match, held at the Vishwanadh Sports Club Stadium, saw Dabang Delhi’s captain Ashu Malik lead the charge, scoring 15 points. This victory marked the start of their season, while the Bengaluru Bulls faced their second consecutive loss. Key players for Delhi included Neeraj Narwal, who contributed 7 points, along with defenders Fazel Atrachali and Saurabh Nandal, each scoring 3 points. Akash Malik and Alireza Mirjaine played well for the Bulls, scoring 8 and 10 points respectively, but star raider Akash Shinde’s lackluster performance with only 3 points impacted their chances.
Delhi started aggressively, taking an early lead. Delhi’s defenders were sharp, and they out-of-boundsed Akash Shinde. Ashu Malik’s super raid in the fifth minute further boosted Delhi’s lead. The team maintained their aggressive approach, achieving a 10-3 lead after the first all-out.
The Bulls attempted a comeback, but Delhi’s defense and raiding continued to perform well. Ashu Malik reached his Super-10 before halftime. In the second half, despite the Bulls earning points, Delhi continued to dominate. In the final minutes, the Bulls attempted a comeback, but couldn’t close the 7-point gap.
In the other match of the day, the Jaipur Pink Panthers, who have been champions twice, won their match against the Patna Pirates, who have been champions three times, with a score of 39-36. This was Jaipur’s first victory of the season, while Patna suffered their second loss. Nitin Dhankhar with 13 points and Ali Samadhi with 8 points were key players for Jaipur. Maninder Singh scored 15 points for Patna, but Aryan Lohchab’s low score and Sudhakar M’s support of 9 points were not enough for the win. The match was closely fought, with only a 3-point difference at the end.