Ashu Malik and Yogesh herald new era of Dabang Delhi, Season Review

The star of the team Naveen Kumar got sidelined due to injury in the first half of the season.

Dabang Delhi was the third team in the Pro Kabaddi League‘s tenth season to guarantee a playoff berth. They achieved this feat despite losing their talismanic Raider Naveen Kumar to injury during the Chennai leg of the season. The season eight champions were vying for their second PKL title, but 2024 didn’t seem the year for them as they failed to qualify for the finals. Yet it was a season to remember especially their impregnable defense, shielded by the young blood of Yogesh and the experienced Vishal Bharadwaj. Ashu Malik has had an amazing tournament, but he hasn’t had much support from his teammates in the Raiding department. The season eight champions would be happy in the way the season panned out.

Let’s look at the things that worked out well for Dabang Delhi KC.

Top Performers

Ashu Malik

Ashu Malik’s name would not have been on a list of the likely winners of the Raider of the Season award if one had been made before the tournament. The experts were talking about Naveen Kumar even during the initial Dabang Delhi games. But Ashu gained more attention after Naveen Kumar’s unfortunate shoulder injury during the Chennai leg. With 276 Raid points, Ashu leads the season in Raid statistics. Beyond that amount, Ashu’s track record of the most effective Raids of 228 has shown his might and capacity to relentlessly target the defence groupings of the adversary. He took on the Raider of the Season title with dignity, having shoulder all of Delhi’s Raiding duties by himself.

Yogesh DahiyaYogesh, a right-corner defender, came through the ranks of junior-level Kabaddi. This year is his first PKL season, and he played for a prominent team like Dabang Delhi KC and performed like a fish out of water at the senior level. Yogesh went on to win the New Young Player of the Season award as the 20-year-old finished with 74 tackle points.

His temperament was appreciated as he came into the season against the backdrop of his coach Rambir Singh Khokhar’s expectation of finishing in the top three and the defender achieving it shows the boy has a level head on the top of his shoulders.

Ashish

Kabaddi is about hunting in pairs and season 10 saw Dabang Delhi KC unleash a new pair. If Yogesh Dahiya is a threat in the Right corner, Ashish is the other man who made waves in the left corner. These two’s boldness in attacking the Raiders rocked the strategies of every opposing Raider.

With his 48 points in 19 games, Ashish forced veteran player Vishal Bharadwaj to sit on the bench as he assumed the left corner position. Despite the absence of star Raider Naveen Kumar, these two’s performances helped the season eight champions qualify for the playoffs.

Underperformers of the Season

Secondary Raiders

Delhi was expected to coast along with points from Raiders with Naveen Kumar at the helm. An injury to the Naveen Express left the season eight champions scramble for points from their secondary Raiders. While Ashu Malik took over the responsibility of the primary Raider. The likes of Meetu and Manjeet never really stepped in to play the role of secondary Raiders. Despite playing more than 20 games both couldn’t overhaul the tally of 71 Raid points scored by Naveen in just six games.

Special Mentions

Vishal Bharadwaj is a veteran of the sport and he was used as a super sub whenever he came on to the mat, he produced crucial tackles to keep Dabang Delhi in the fight, especially in the super tackle situations where he weaved his magic five times this season. The cover defenders Vikrant and Mohit did their roles to perfection making Delhi one of the comprehensive defensive units of season 10.

Top Performances

Haryana Steelers 32 – 35 Dabang Delhi KC, Match 87

Patna Pirates 37 – 38 Dabang Delhi KC, Match 56

Jaipur Pink Panthers 32 – Dabang Delhi KC, Match 43

Manager’s Report Card – Rambir Singh Khokhar

Rambir’s appointment as the coach of the Dabang Delhi KC raised eyebrows as he replaced their title-winning coach Krishna Kumar Hooda from season eight. But, Rambir has a wealth of experience coaching at all levels of Kabaddi and unearths new talents from domestic competitions. It was evident in the Auctions as the team from the capital city invested a lot in new young players and it paid rich dividends. If he continues to do so, then Delhi will become the team to beat in a season or two.

Lessons to be learned

When Naveen Kumar was ruled out of the season, many thought the season would be coming to an end. To have qualified after losing their primary player speaks volumes about the quality of the squad they have got. The story of Dabang Delhi KC is a lesson for every franchise as they had their talent scouts in domestic competitions which helped them constantly put together a great squad every season. Not only did it help Delhi perform well in another season of the Pro Kabaddi League but also provided an opportunity for youngsters to showcase their talent.

Fan’s View

Naveen Kumar is such a delight to watch as a Dabang Delhi fan. To see him stretched out of the arena was such a hard image to swallow. The resilience the squad has shown since then was inspirational to watch. The emergence of Ashu Malik was one of the joys to watch. Had the likes of Manjeet, Meetu, and Vishal Bharadwaj been more consistent, the season eight champions would have moved further ahead in the competition.

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