The Patna Pirates put on a dominant display to defeat Dabang Delhi K.C. 61-26, earning the season’s largest victory by 35 points at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday. With one game remaining against the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the PKL 12 league stage final, the move also put them in a position to qualify for the playoffs.
Ayan’s spectacular raid gave the Patna Pirates an early lead and opened the scoring. Akshit, however, swiftly answered for Dabang Delhi with a self-assured raid that scored a point.
After that, the Pirates gained some momentum with a string of skillfully performed raids and tackles, increasing their advantage to 4-1. However, Dabang Delhi put up a fierce fight, with their defenders rising to the occasion and reducing the distance. They reduced the deficit to just one point at 5–4 thanks to their strong defensive play.
Both teams kept trading points in fast succession as the first half went on. A thrilling battle was in store as the game stayed evenly balanced and, by the time the Strategic Time Out was called, the score was tied at 7–7.
The Patna Pirates got off to a great start after the interval, winning consecutive points, first from a good raid by Ayan and then from an error by Akshit that handed them another. They piled pressure on Dabang Delhi by taking a 13–8 lead midway through the half.
Akshit put up a spectacular effort to gain two points, bringing Dabang Delhi’s deficit down to 12-15. But Ayan came through for the Pirates once more, securing another point with a self-assured raid to keep his team ahead.
The Patna Pirates kept up the tempo, quickly giving Dabang Delhi an ALL OUT to increase their lead to 19–13. With a dominant 10-point lead at the half, the Pirates had established a tight grip on the game.
After the break, the Patna Pirates continued to dominate. Ayan’s successful raid extended the margin to 12 points after Navdeep’s first successful tackle of the half gave the Pirates a point.
After that, the Pirates scored an ALL OUT, bringing the score to 28-14. Ayan completed his Super 10 and kept the Patna Pirates comfortably ahead, continuing to lead from the front. The Pirates increased their lead to 39–17 by applying more pressure and forcing another ALL OUT. Ayan then contributed significantly once more; his five-point explosion led to another All Out and put the Pirates ahead by 31 points.
Following the Strategic Time Out, the Pirates continued to dominate the proceedings. Ankit Kumar’s shrewd raid added a couple more points, pushing Milan Dahiya’s total above 50. The team began the half with a successful raid to collect a point. Navdeep achieved his High 5 and Ankit completed his Super 10 thanks to his steady play, demonstrating the team’s versatility.
Akshit’s outstanding Super Raid helped Dabang Delhi claw back a few points, but the margin was still too great. The Patna Pirates maintained total control by remaining intense and focused. They sealed a great performance and won the game by a huge margin after adding a Super Tackle to their total with less than two minutes remaining.
