Dabang Delhi extended their unbeaten run to four games as they earned a 35-28 comeback win over Gujarat Giants in the Pro Kabaddi League match at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Tuesday. Stand-in skipper Ashu Malik was the star performer for Dabang Delhi as he finished with 10 points, while Manjeet grabbed nine raid points.
Delhi got off to a strong start as they took a 4-0 lead, but the Giants worked their way back into the game through a superb multi-point raid from Rakesh HS. Much like Rakesh, Parteek Dahiya also produced a two-point raid soon after, which reduced Delhi to one defender. The inevitable occurred soon after as Delhi, playing without their captain Naveen Kumar, were on the receiving end of an all out and the Giants led 11-9.
Fazel Atrachali, captain of the Gujarat Giants, achieved a massive milestone as he trapped Ashu in one of his trademark ankle holds and went on to reach the 450-tackle points milestone. The Iranian’s defender’s team went into the interval leading 16-14.
Manjeet, Dabang Delhi’s second raider of the game, got his side off to a fiery start in the second half and then Malik took over the reins. Malik outwitted four defenders in two raids, including Atrachali, to put the Giants in a spot of bother.
Malik was in the thick of things again as he then executed a tackle on Sonu Jaglan to put his team ahead. The all out followed soon after and Delhi took a four-point lead at 28-24.
Both sides traded blows in the final five minutes, but Delhi’s lead proved to be too steep for the Giants to catch up to. Malik got the better of Atrachali yet again off his final raid as Dabang Delhi sealed a hard-fought comeback win.