Dabang Delhi K.C. maintained their lead on the table, defeating the Jaipur Pink Panthers 29–26 at Chennai’s SDAT Multi-Purpose Indoor Stadium on Monday in a thrilling match. With the victory, the table-toppers completed the double against the two-time champions.
Sandeep recorded a High Five with seven tackle points while Ashu Malik added eight raid points in a game where the defenders dominated. Reza Mirbagheri and Deepanshu Khatri both recorded high fives for the Pink Panthers, while Aryan Kumar also scored four tackle points. Regretfully, their team was unable to cross the finish line with it alone.
With a Super Raid to start the game with a three-point lead, Ashu Malik did what he does best: set the tone. The Pink Panthers’ first point was earned via a tackle from Deepanshu Khatri, and their defense kept them in the game throughout the opening exchanges.
After Dabang Delhi maintained a two-point advantage thanks to Fazel Atrachali’s first tackle, Aryan Kumar’s two tackles and Meetu’s raid tied the score. After the first quarter ended with a score of 6-5, Deepanshu Khatri’s ankle hold handed the Pink Panthers their first lead of the evening.
With the pace reducing, the defenses gradually took control of the match. Sandeep recorded four tackles in the first half, but the table-toppers were still ahead by two points thanks to a multi-point raid from Ajinkya Pawar. But Reza Mirbagheri had the last few seconds of the half, finishing his High Five with a couple of Super Tackles, giving the Pink Panthers a 13–12 advantage at the break.
Defenders dictated terms as the teams continued to trade punches in the exciting match. The Pink Panthers took the lead once more as Vinay scored a two-point raid. Ashu Malik then scored a two-point raid of his own to give Dabang Delhi the first ALL OUT of the game and put them ahead once more.
With a few tackles, Sandeep finished his High Five, and Ajinkya Pawar also contributed to the Joginder Narwal-led team’s five-point advantage. The tackles kept rolling in as Deepanshu Khatri became the third player of the evening to complete his High Five.
Even though he didn’t play at his best, Ashu Malik kept up his efforts to help Dabang Delhi K.C. maintain their four-point advantage with five minutes remaining. Aashish Kumar’s Super Tackle cut the gap down to three points for the Jaipur Pink Panthers after Saurabh Nandal’s tackle extended the lead.
Aryan Kumar’s Super Tackle gave the Jaipur Pink Panthers a chance when there was just one point separating them. In the end, Neeraj Narwal saved the day with a tackle on Ali Samadi and then completed the game’s last raid, guaranteeing the table-toppers a 29-26 victory over their rivals.
