Dabang Delhi once again showcased their class in Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League, clinching a thrilling win in a close encounter against the Haryana
Steelers at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
Ajinkya Pawar stepped up with eight points, while Saurabh Nandal's High Five helped Dabang Delhi take the match into a tie-breaker and eventually secure the victory. It was also a proud milestone for Fazel Atrachali, who notched up four points and delivered a Super Raid in the tie-breaker in what was his 200th PKL appearance.
The Haryana Steelers started the match on a positive note with a successful raid from Vinay, giving them an early lead. However, Dabang Delhi quickly responded with points of their own to move ahead. The Steelers stayed composed and hit back through a strong tackle from Neeraj, who brought down Dabang Delhi's star raider Ashu Malik to level the scores.
Both teams continued to exchange points over the next few minutes, keeping the contest evenly balanced. The Steelers showed better control in both defence and attack, maintaining a narrow two-point advantage at 9-7 when the first half time-out was called.
Dabang Delhi quickly levelled the scores after the restart, and the game remained tightly contested. Both teams matched each other point for point, with neither allowing the other to take control. As the first half moved into its final minutes, the Haryana Steelers broke the deadlock with an impressive defensive effort, inflicting an ALL OUT to take a 16-12 lead.
The Steelers built on that momentum, maintaining their advantage with disciplined defence and sharp raiding. However, just before halftime, Ajinkya Pawar produced a brilliant Super Raid, earning three points for his side and cutting the deficit to 18-17. The first half ended with the Steelers holding a narrow one-point lead.
Dabang Delhi started the second half on a strong note, as Neeraj Narwal picked up a point with a successful raid to level the scores at 18-18. The Steelers looked to build on their advantage, keeping pressure on Dabang Delhi, but they refused to back down. Their raiders fought back strongly, and the team managed to inflict an ALL OUT, closing the gap to just one point.
Both sides continued to go toe-to-toe, exchanging points with every move and keeping the contest finely balanced. As the intensity grew, neither team allowed the other to pull away. When the Time Out was taken midway through the second half, the scoreboard reflected how close the game had been - locked at 27-27.
The Steelers started well after the restart, earning the first point through a confident raid from Shivam Patare. Moments later, Rahul added another point with a solid tackle, giving the Steelers a two-point cushion.
However, Dabang Delhi stayed in the fight. Their raiders picked up quick points, reducing the gap to just one with about four minutes left in the second half. Fazel produced a brilliant tackle to make it 31-31 - a special moment in his milestone game.
With time running out, Fazel once again showed his class. He delivered under pressure, earning a crucial point to level the scores at 33-33 and forcing the game into the ninth tie-breaker of the season.
Dabang Delhi started the tie-breaker on a strong note, striking first through a solid defensive effort to take the early lead. They quickly followed it up with another point to make it 2-0.
Haryana Steelers finally got on the board with a point in their second raid, but Delhi continued to dominate the contest. Ajinkya Pawar's successful raid extended Delhi's advantage to 3-1, putting more pressure on the Steelers. Soon after, Surjeet Singh came up with a powerful tackle to make it 4-1.
The momentum firmly stayed with Delhi as captain Fazel Atrachali produced a brilliant Super Raid, earning three crucial points and putting the result beyond doubt. Dabang Delhi finished the tie-breaker in style, sealing a convincing 9-3 win to claim victory after a thrilling match.
