It was a Naveen Kumar show all the way for Dabang Delhi KC as he almost single-handedly decimated Bengal Warriors in match 19 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 at the Sheraton Grand Whitefield Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Naveen Kumar picked up 24 points from 25 raids, his best performance in the history of PKL, as
Dabang Delhi avenged their last season’s defeat in the final with a massive 52-35 win over
defending champions Bengal Warriors.
Naveen was unstoppable - he was in the thick of things from the word go and the Bengal defence
were left looking for answers every time he stepped on to raid.
Later on, Gujarat Giants and UP Yoddha shared the spoils at 32-32 tie in a pulsating match, laden with good all-round performances.
Gujarat Giants would rue the result as they led for most parts of the match, holding a good 20-14 lead at the break, while UP Yoddha staged a spectacular comeback in the second half to give nothing away and make Gujarat work hard for every point.
Rakesh Narwal was the star raider for Gujarat Giants with 13 points, supported by Ajay Kumar while Girish Ernak (4 tackle points) was a live-wire in the defence. For UP Yoddha Pardeep Narwal sizzled with 11 raid points and he got ample support from Surender Gill with 6 points.
The results on Wednesday meant Delhi continue to set the early pace in the tournament followed by Gujarat while UP Yoddha and Bengal Warriors’ inconsistencies sees them placed middle of the table.
Pro Kabaddi standings
Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Tie | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dabang Delhi K.C. | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
2 | Gujarat Giants | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
3 | Patna Pirates | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
4 | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
5 | Bengal Warriors | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
6 | Bengaluru Bulls | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
7 | UP Yoddha | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
8 | U Mumba | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
9 | Haryana Steelers | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
10 | Tamil Thalaivas | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
11 | Telugu Titans | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
12 | Puneri Paltan | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |