Bengaluru: Dabang Delhi K.C. put on a five-star performance to beat Telugu Titans 46-26 in the second game at the Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. Dabang Delhi K.C. rode on the raiding of Naveen Kumar (12 points), Manjeet (9 points) and a superb defensive performance by Ravi Kumar and Ashu Malik to inflict a crushing defeat on the Titans and stay unbeaten this season.
The pre-match talk had built the match up as a clash between the Titans’ defence and Dabang Delhi K.C.’s offence, but within minutes it was clear that the defending champions were not taking their defensive duties on the mat lightly. They raced into a 7-point lead before the Titans could even open their account. With barely six minutes gone, Dabang Delhi K.C. had already inflicted the first All-Out of the match, taking a 11-2 lead.
The Titans regrouped, but Dabang Delhi K.C., and in particular Naveen’s ability to keep collecting bonus points as well as Manjeet’s razor-sharp raids, meant their lead was never truly challenged. It wasn’t just the Dabang Delhi K.C. raiders though, and the statistics laid bare the brilliance of their all-round performance. They had eight tackle points in the first half, compared to the Titans’ one. And they went into the break holding a deserved lead at 24-10.
Telugu Titans’ substitute Mohsen Maghsoudlou offered them a ray of hope as the second half began. On a Do-or-Die raid, the Iranian managed to get the Titans a crucial point to chip away at the lead.
Immediately though, Dabang Delhi K.C. snatched back the initiative. Manjeet, on his very next foray executed a Super Raid, catching out Nitin, Mohit and Mohsen. The lone man standing, Vinay, was caught out next as the team from the capital city inflicted their second All-Out to take a massive 30-12 lead.
Despite the huge lead, Dabang Delhi K.C. did not slow down, and at the other end the Titans’ errors kept coming. By the end, it was just a matter of not how or when but by how much the reigning champions would win. The answer was 20 points, the second time they inflicted this margin of victory on an opponent this season.
Top Performers
Telugu Titans: Best Raider – Vinay (9 Raid Points); Best Defender – Surjeet Singh (1 Tackle Point)
Dabang Delhi K.C.: Best Raider – Naveen Kumar (12 Raid Points); Best Defender – Ravi Kumar (4 Tackle Points)
PKL