PKL 9: Dabang Delhi secured their qualification for the playoffs

Dabang Delhi KC Strong Second Half Performance Earns Them a Tie.

Dabang Delhi KC, led by Naveen Kumar's brilliance put in a superb second half performance to earn a 46-46 tie against Bengal Warriors that earned them qualification for the PKL 9 playoffs. Needing a win or a tie, Delhi saw the game go down to the wire, before strategically earning a tie on the final raid of the evening to knock the Gujarat Giants out of the race at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium.  

The high-octane clash also saw two of the best raiders in the league this year, facing up, and in the early stages, the Bengal Warriors were the more dominant. While Dabang Delhi KC were reliant on bonus points, the Bengal Warriors made each raid more valuable by getting touch points too. As a result, by the end of the first period they had inflicted two ALL OUTS on Dabang Delhi KC, to go into the break leading 25-19. 

Dabang Delhi KC stormed back in the second half, their defenders Dipak, Vishal and Amit Hooda suddenly not just aiding Naveen's brilliant raiding but also dominating the mat and bringing Dabang Delhi KC back into the game. 

They got back one ALL OUT in the final five minutes of the game to draw level at 38-38 and then, within minutes had registered another ALL OUT to take a 43-40 lead, completing an incredible turnaround with two minutes left. And yet, the Bengal Warriors weren't done, Maninder storming back with a SUPER RAID to take out Sandeep Dhull, Vishal and Dipak to make it an even game again.

The final thirty seconds were a frenzy, the pressure of PKL 9 play off qualification on the line for Dabang Delhi KC and points traded at both ends of the mat. With 15 seconds to go, Dabang Delhi Delhi KC led by just a single point, a win and a tie enough to push them through the line. On the final raid of the evening, Maninder came back with just the single point to end the match in a tie.  

Rakesh Narwal Leads Haryana Steelers to Win Against Telugu Titans 

The Haryana Steelers were on song in their penultimate game of the PKL 9 league stage, winning by a whopping 50-33 against the Telugu Titans at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium. Rakesh Narwal top scored with 11 points for the Haryana Steelers while substitute Lovepreet Singh light up the evening with a fine 20-minute cameo that saw him score 7 points. 

On home turf for one last time, the Telugu Titans were out of the blocks quicker than the Haryana Steelers, with K Hanumanthu and Mohsen Maghsoudlou kicking things off for them. However, within a matter of minutes, Vinay, Manjeet and Rakesh Narwal had helped the Haryana Steelers bounce back, wipe out the lead and edge ahead. By the midway stage of the first half, the Haryana Steelers had swung the contest their way, with a 7-point lead.  

From then on in, Rakesh and Nitin Rawal continued to rake in the points at will, even as the Telugu Titans fought tooth and nail to stay in the contest. However, the troika of Vinay, Rakesh and Nitin had their own plans, as the teams went into the break with the Haryana Steelers leading the Telugu Titans by a scoreline of 26-11.  

The Haryana Steelers started the second half with a much-changed line-up, but from the get-go had the Telugu Titans on the mat. Shortly into the second phase of play, Rakesh completed his Super 10 while Harsh was making his mark in defence as the Haryana Steelers continued to stretch their lead.  

With just under ten minutes to go, the Haryana Steelers led by 23 points, and even though the Telugu Titans had Abhishek Singh soldiering on, a comeback wasn’t looking likely. In the final minutes, the Haryana Steelers kept their opponents at bay, and walked off with a big win, while the Telugu Titans brought down the curtains on their campaign with a defeat.  

Award Winners on 08/12/2022  

Match 1: Bengal Warriors vs Dabang Delhi K.C. 

vivo Perfect Player of the Match – Naveen Kumar (Dabang Delhi K.C.) 

Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match – Deepak (Dabang Delhi K.C.) 

Moment of the Match – Maninder Singh (Bengal Warriors) 

Match 2: Haryana Steelers vs Telugu Titans 

vivo Perfect Player of the Match – Rakesh Narwal (Haryana Steelers) 

Dream 11 Gamechanger of the Match – Nitin Rawal (Haryana Steelers) 

Moment of the Match - Rakesh Narwal (Haryana Steelers)