Pro Kabaddi 2019, Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Dabang Delhi: Naveen's superb show wins it for Delhi in a close contest
Dabang Delhi edged Junior Bachchan's Jaipur Pink Panthers in an intense battle, which came down to the very last second at the Pro Kabaddi League Season 7. The table-toppers clinched yet another victory in mind-blowing fashion.
Naveen Kumar left the aficionados of the sport dumbfounded after collecting a whopping 16 points with style. Chandran Ranjit, the young gun, supported Naveen well and played a huge role in Delhi's win.
Read to find out how the seventh battle of the #RivalryWeek between Jaipur Pink Panthers and Dabang Delhi unfolded itself at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore:
Stalwart Deepak Hooda started for the Panthers and was unfortunate enough to be flung off the mat in no time. Chandran Ranjit opened the account for the Dabangs on a brilliant note after an out-of-the-world five-pointer.
Nitin Rawal brought the first point for the Pink Army and even got a two-pointer in his next raid. In just the fourth minute itself, the Jaipur-based franchise conceded their first all-out of the night, hence giving the opponents a lead of six points.
Despite a sloppy start, the Panthers started catching up gradually. Nitin Rawal's resplendent super-raid inflicted an all-out on the Dabangs from Delhi. Sandeep Dhull's dive on Meraj Sheykh put the Pink Panthers in lead for the first time in the encounter.
At half-time, the score 21-19 was tilted in the direction of the table-toppers, Dabang Delhi. As the other half kicked off, Naveen sent Pavan TR off the mat in the blink of an eye. A mind-blowing super-tackle by Jaipur was challenged by the rivals, which turned out to be successful.
In an attempt to keep the drowning ship of the Pink Army floating, Sachin Narwal stepped on the opponent's court and amazed everyone with a super raid. Right after Sachin's applause-worthy raid, he super-tackled Naveen.
A third superb super-tackle by Jaipur put them in a two-point lead. Dabang Delhi claimed yet another review in the 30th minute, which, upon inspection, was deemed unsuccessful. Sandeep Dhull's amazing ankle-hold struck Dabangs with a second all-out.
Naveen, the young prodigy, completed his 11th Super 10 of the season with sheer brilliance. Jaipur asked for a review in the 35th minute, which was declared successful. The match, which started off as a one-sided affair, was now becoming intense with three minutes left on the clock.
Vijay Malik, who previously played for the Patna Pirates, did a commendable super-raid, hence providing some hope to the Dabangs. Deepak increased the already huge lead to six points after a dazzling two-pointer.
With just 30 seconds remaining, Naveen fetched a smouldering two-pointer. In the buzzer raid, Chandran Ranjit turned the pace of the game after inflicting an all-out on the Panthers, thereby also snatching the lead from them.
In probably the most nerve-wracking battle of PKL 2019, Dabang Delhi emerged victorious with the score 46-44. The match was decided in the very last second, hence keeping the fans and pundits all across the nation on tenterhooks till the end.
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