Day 34 of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 witnessed the Patna Pirates produce a composed all-round performance to defeat the UP Yoddhas 36-28, while Dabang Delhi K.C. continued to consolidate their spot at the top of the table with a thrilling 29-26 win over the Jaipur Pink Panthers. Speaking exclusively on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga explained the turning points of both matches, analysed the teams’ defensive strategies and the upcoming match-up between Dabang Delhi K.C. and the Haryana Steelers.
Speaking on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga spoke about Patna Pirates’ performance against UP Yoddhas: “Patna’s defense was very good, especially Ankit and Deepak, who were in excellent touch right from the start. Navdeep also
contributed well, and all the defenders played their part. Ayan was simply amazing. From the beginning, we saw him dominate the game, continuously raiding, scoring points, and creating momentum for his team. When a raider keeps scoring like that, the defense’s morale rises, and we saw exactly that happen. In the second half, the defense started supporting him brilliantly. If the Pirates keep playing together, then no matter how strong the opposition is, they will remain favourites to win again.”
On Dabang Delhi K.C.’s performance: “This Dabang Delhi team has many strong defenders, and Sandeep’s involvement as a youngster adds even more strength. When youngsters get to practice and perform alongside experienced players, their maturity grows quickly. The way the youngsters played, you cannot even call them inexperienced. They showed maturity, strength, and confidence, almost like seasoned players, and helped the team win this match.”
It was a solid defensive performance from Jaipur Pink Panthers: Devadiga hails Pink Panthers
On Jaipur Pink Panthers’ defense against Dabang Delhi K.C.: “Jaipur Pink Panther’ defense deserves a lot of praise. I think Ashu Malik was tackled four to five times. Their planning was very clear, stop Ashu Malik and you win the match. They executed that plan perfectly. From the beginning, we saw Aryan attack strongly. Deepanshu Khatri also stopped Ashu multiple times. And Reza tackled him twice as well. It was a solid defensive performance from Jaipur Pink Panthers. This team always impresses, but unfortunately, they often end up losing matches by just 1–2 points.”
On Ali Samadi and Fazel Atrachali’s battle: “Ali Samadi and Fazel come from the same country, and Fazel knows very well how to tackle Ali. He had already guided his defense accordingly. Right from the start, we saw Ali struggling against Fazel. Sandeep too contributed fully. Delhi’s defense successfully kept Ali Samadi quiet, but there are still some gaps. Jaipur Pink Panthers will need Nitin Dhankhar to regain full fitness quickly if they want to do well in the coming matches.”
On the upcoming match between Dabang Delhi K.C. and Haryana Steelers: “We are going to witness a fierce contest. This match is going to be very exciting. Everyone will have their eyes on this clash. We will have to closely watch Manpreet Singh’s planning and strategies as Haryana Steelers look to take revenge.”
(With Inputs from Press Release)
