Dabang Delhi K.C. produced a commanding performance to beat Bengaluru Bulls 41-34 at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag on Tuesday. Despite a late surge from the Bulls, Delhi held firm, with Ashu Malik scoring 15 points, Neeraj Narwal adding 7, and defenders Surjeet Singh, Fazel Atrachali and Saurabh Nandal standing tall. For the Bulls, Alireza Mirzaian’s Super 10 was the lone bright spot.
Against the Bengaluru Bulls, Dabang Delhi got out to a strong start and quickly took the lead. Ashu Malik led the charge, scoring quick raid points. The standout moment was a spectacular Super Raid that quickly shifted the tide in Dabang Delhi’s favor by removing Yogesh, Aashish Malik, and Ankush Rathee.
Only Alireza Mirzaian put up any resistance as the Bulls battled to get their footing. When Surjeet Singh’s forceful tackle on Mirzaian resulted in the game’s first ALL OUT, they suffered yet another setback. The Bulls faced a difficult ascent back into the game after that loss, trailing 13-5 at the 10-minute mark.
Dabang Delhi maintained a commanding lead over Bengaluru Bulls at the half, leading 21–11, after carrying over their early momentum into the second half. Agent Ashu was unstoppable and used shrewd raids to continuously test the Bulls’ defense. Before halftime, he was rewarded with a Super 10, and Neeraj Narwal contributed important raid points.
With four raid points, Alireza provided some opposition for the Bulls, but Aashish’s efforts briefly ignited them. They were held behind, though, by a string of setbacks, including Akash’s failed raids and Sanjay’s two dismissals. Bengaluru had a lot of work to do in the second half as Dabang Delhi appeared to be in complete control with a 10-point lead at the half.
In the third quarter, the season 8 PKL champions strengthened their control on the game, increasing their lead to 34-17 at the half. Ashu Malik was the standout player, scoring raid points whenever he wanted and always putting pressure on the Bulls’ defense.
While Surjeet Singh and Fazel Atrachali stood firm in defense, Naveen and Neeraj Narwal also contributed. Midway through the half, Surjeet delivered the most devastating blow to Bengaluru as he tackled Alireza decisively to enforce the second ALL OUT, further extending Delhi’s lead.
With their successful raids, Aashish and Alireza attempted to provide resistance for Bengaluru, but the remainder of the unit found it difficult to have an effect. In an attempt to find answers, substitutes Ganesha Hanamantagol and Jitender Yadav were brought on, but the Bulls were unable to halt Delhi’s progress. Bengaluru had everything to play for in the closing minutes as the reigning champions appeared to be in complete control by the end of the third quarter, leading by 17 points.
The Bulls persisted in spite of the overwhelming lead. The lead was rapidly reduced by 13 points after Akash Shinde’s Super Tackle on Ashu Malik and Ganesha’s successful raid that resulted in Naveen and Sandeep. But Neeraj Narwal’s successful attack on the Bulls, to get Sanjay and Manish, put his team back on track.
Jitender Yadav’s spectacular Super Tackle in a Do-Or-Die Raid at the end of the game got Ashu Malik. Despite a late ALL OUT for the Bengaluru Bulls, the Bulls lost the game by 7 points, with the final score at the end of 40 minutes being 41-34.
