PKL 12: Top five best moments from Day 19 matches

Dabang Delhi holds the top spot at the end of Day 19 of PKL 12.

Day 19 of Pro Kabaddi League 12 (PKL 12) started with a clash between Dabang Delhi and Telugu Titans. The Titans came fully prepared for Ashu Malik and managed to stop him completely, which gave them a 6-point lead at halftime.

But things changed as Neeraj Narwal and Delhi’s defence stepped up to script a comeback. In the end, Akshit Dhull produced a brilliant super raid to seal the match for Delhi as they registered their 6th consecutive victory.

The second match was a rematch of last year’s final, as Haryana Steelers locked horns with the Patna Pirates. Once again, Haryana completely outplayed them. It didn’t take Haryana much time to inflict the first all-out of the game, and they were leading by 12 points at one stage.

The Pirates then made a small comeback, courtesy of a 6-point raid by Milan Dahiya, which reduced the gap. However, in the second half, Haryana held their nerves and went on to dominate the match completely.

The day was filled with incredible performances and amazing moments. On that note, let’s take a look at the top five moments from Day 19 of PKL 12:

5. Ayan’s Failure

So far this season, the Patna Pirates’ boat has been sinking, but one man has been trying to keep it afloat: Ayan Lohchab. He has been outstanding this season, averaging nearly 13 raid points before this match.

However, today the Haryana Steelers came fully prepared for him, and the Pirates had no Plan B to counter their strategy.

From the very first raid, the Steelers took control of Ayan and never gave him an inch of momentum. His first point came only in the second half, which tells the story of the match. He managed only 6 raid points and was tackled 10 times, clearly showing that the Pirates lacked a backup plan.

4. Shivam Patare’s Brilliance

Shivam Patare is the kind of Bull who becomes aggressive and dominant the moment he sees the green jersey. Last season, he was the hero of the final against the Pirates, and today once again, he troubled their defense with his speed and smart raids.

He was quick on the mat and never allowed the Pirates’ defense to settle. He scored his second Super 10 of the season, finishing with 13 raid points, and even added 2 tackle points to his name. His brilliance on the mat helped the Haryana Steelers secure yet another victory.

3. Milan Dahiya’s 6-point Raid

Even though Patna Pirates faced defeat today, Milan Dahiya’s stunning raid surprised fans. Trailing by 9 points in the first half, Milan went on a raid against a defense of four players.

Jaideep dived at his legs, and the support came in quickly, pinning him close to the midline. It seemed they had stopped him just in time, but Milan’s left hand was still free, and with a few fingertips, he managed to cross the line.

The move resulted in a super raid, which took out all four defenders and gave Pirates 6 crucial points, reducing the lead to just 3 points. However, despite this brilliant raid, Milan wasn’t given many opportunities afterward and ended the match with only 5 raid points.

2. The Day of Defence

Day 19 of PKL 12 was a day of defensive brilliance, with 4 High 5s scored across the two matches. Both games were ultimately decided by how strong the teams stood in defence. In the first match, when Dabang Delhi’s raiding unit struggled to deliver in the first half, their defenders rose to the occasion.

Delhi ended with 15 tackle points compared to 12 by the Titans. Fazel Atrachali registered his 3rd High 5 of the season, while Saurabh Nandal also joined the party with 5 tackle points. They were well supported by Surjeet, who added 4 crucial tackles.

The second game saw Haryana Steelers put up an absolute defensive masterclass, scoring a massive 18 tackle points as they completely dominated the Pirates’ raiders. Both Jaideep and Hardeep earned High 5s, while Rahul Sethpal scored 4 tackle points.

Haryana also executed 2 brilliant Super Tackles against the Pirates when they were trying to script a comeback. At the end of the day, it was clear that the teams with the stronger defence walked away with the win and 2 crucial points each.

1. Ashu Malik’s Off Day

Ashu Malik has been in outstanding form this season and currently sits second on the list of leading raid scorers, just behind Devank Dalal. Before this game, he had scored a Super 10 in every match and led the team to victory in all 6 games.

But today, his former coach Krishan Hooda came fully prepared, and the Telugu Titans’ defence managed to stop him. Ashu struggled throughout the game, with his first raid point coming in the 28th minute.

The positive sign for Delhi were that the team still delivered even when their star raider was having an off day.

Neeraj Narwal rose to the occasion, scoring 8 crucial raid points to script a strong comeback. In the dying minutes, when Delhi were leading by just 2 and the Titans guarded the baulk line to stop Akshit from making an empty raid, he produced a brilliant Super Raid that sealed the win for Delhi.

Ashu, as captain, would surely be proud of how his team performed and secured victory even without his best on the mat.

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