Dabang Delhi K.C. crowned PKL 12 champions at home, overcome Puneri Paltan in fierce battle to the end

Ashu Malik and Co ride on Ajinkya Pawar, Neeraj Narwal show to clinch second title in front of a jubilant home crowd

Rakesh Thapliyal

New Delhi: Dabang Delhi K.C.  crowned champions of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12, after a thrilling 31-28 victory against Puneri Paltan at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium here on Friday. This is their second PKL title, having previously been crowned champions in Season 8, when current head coach Joginder Narwal was their captain.

In doing so, Dabang Delhi became the first home team since U Mumba in Season 2 to lift the trophy. Meanwhile, Fazel Atrachali also became the most successful foreigner in the history of the PKL.

Neeraj Narwal and Ajinkya Pawar led the raiding unit with eight and six points respectively. Meanwhile, for Puneri Paltan, Aditya Shinde registered a Super 10 and Abinesh Nadarajan scored four tackle points, that went down in vain.

As has been the case for most of the season, Aslam Inamdar and Ashu Malik opened the account of their respective teams in the grand finale. Neeraj Narwal then took the onus for Dabang Delhi, bagging a two-point raid and a tackle to give his side a four-point lead in the initial exchanges.

Puneri Paltan did not succumb to the early pressure, however, as Gaurav Khatri secured a couple of Super Tackles to make it a one-point game. With the tempo slowing down slightly as both teams resorted to the Do-Or-Die strategy, Ajinkya Pawar ensured that Dabang Delhi held a two-point lead after an engaging first quarter.

Abinesh Nadarajan registered a third Super Tackle for Puneri Paltan, keeping it a one-point game, but Dabang Delhi’s Ajinkya Pawar inflicted the first ALL OUT of the game with close to five minutes to go in the first half. That gave his side a six-point lead, allowing them some breathing room in this contest.

The home team further asserted themselves courtesy Neeraj Narwal’s Super Raid, extending their lead to eight points. Puneri Paltan responded with a tackle from Pankaj Mohite and a two-point raid from Aditya Shinde, closing the gap slightly. However, Ajinkya Pawar instantly responded with a multi-point raid of his own, keeping Dabang Delhi in the lead with the score at 20-14 at half time.

The second half began in a sedate manner with Dabang Delhi eager to hold onto their advantage. Puneri Paltan tried their best to find a way back into the match, relying on their defence and Do-Or-Die strategy to try and force a way back. Gurdeep secured a couple of tackles to help them cut the deficit to four points, before a Super Tackle from Dabang Delhi helped them retain their six-point lead heading into the final quarter of the season. 24-18.

Ashu Malik scored his first point of the night, and a Super Tackle from Anurag re-established an eight-point lead for Dabang Delhi, putting them in the driver’s seat. However, Puneri Paltan weren’t prepared to wave the white flag yet. A tackle from Mohd Amaan and a string of raids from Aditya Shinde helped them register a timely ALL OUT, bringing the Season 10 champions back in the game with the score at 28-25 with under three minutes to go.

The raider brought it down to a one-point game before Neeraj Narwal reopened the three-point lead. With a two-point raid, Aditya Shinde completed his Super 10 as a solitary point separated the two teams heading into the final minute. Fazel Atrachali showed all his experience to score his first point of the game at a clutch moment with a tackle on Aditya Shinde, securing a second trophy for Dabang Delhi K.C, this time in their own backyard.

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