Dabang Delhi K.C. narrowly defeated the Haryana Steelers 38-37 at Chennai’s SDAT Multi-Purpose Indoor Stadium on Monday. Ashu Malik’s Super 10 put Dabang Delhi in control of the game, which was appropriate for the first day of the Chennai leg. Vinay’s 18 points and Jaideep’s High Five were in vain, though, as the Steelers’ late comeback in the last quarter almost earned them the win.
The first ten minutes of the match between the table-toppers, Dabang Delhi, and the reigning champions, Haryana Steelers, were an intense battle in which neither team was able to gain the upper hand. Ashu Malik and Vinay made an early impression as both teams battled it out raid after raid.
At the 10-minute mark, the scores were knotted at 8–8, and the mat exchanges were incredibly sharp. To keep the Steelers level, Vinay countered with equally potent raids after Ashu struck twice in quick succession. Important points from Neeraj Narwal and Vishal Tate also helped to keep the match close.
Dabang Delhi took control of the game in the second quarter thanks to a brilliant all-around performance. With the help of Surjeet Singh and Saurabh Nandal in defence, Ashu reversed the tide with a string of incisive raids following a solid opening spell. Early on, the Steelers were calm, but as their raiders tried to penetrate, they found themselves under pressure.
The game-changing moment came when Dabang Delhi gave Haryana the first ALL OUT of the match. With the final strike, the table-toppers gained a significant buffer and a tight hold on the game. Ashu demonstrated his domination by adding raid points virtually at will, and the team’s defensive strength was demonstrated by Fazel Atrachali’s tackle on Vinay. Delhi had exploded to a dominant 19–13 lead by halftime.
With tenacious defense in the third quarter, the Steelers tried to re-enter the game. With several tackles, Jaideep stood tall, and the Steelers relied on Super Tackles to prevent the deficit from getting worse. To keep up their scoring, Vinay contributed raid points.
The pivotal moment, however, was when Ashu Malik executed a spectacular Super Raid to defeat the Steelers and provide a second ALL OUT of the evening. Delhi’s double-digit lead was reestablished at that point, and Ashu’s Super 10 made his historic 100th PKL appearance. The Dabang Delhi captain’s poise demonstrated his ability to handle pressure as his team extended their lead by 30-19 and tightened their hold on the game.
With momentum on their side, the Steelers stormed back into the game after a remarkable comeback in the final ten minutes. They put Dabang Delhi on the defensive after being spurred on by Vinay’s constant attacking and Ashish Narwal’s vigor coming off the bench.
A dramatic ALL OUT gave the Steelers new energy, and with just 90 seconds remaining, the margin was unexpectedly down to just two points. The crowd was on edge as the game became tense after the comeback.
After that, Vinay scored a multi-point raid to tie the score for the Steelers, but Neeraj Narwal of Dabang Delhi quickly responded with a raid of his own to take the lead again. Throughout that phase, Ashish Narwal, who had been excellent since entering the game, contributed five important points, including one in the match’s last raid.
But at that time, the seconds had passed, and Dabang Delhi hung on tensely to win 38-37. It was a fitting conclusion to a match between the reigning champions and the leaders, who have now won eight games this year.
