Haryana Steelers won over Dabang Delhi KC with a score of 41-34 in the 21st match of the 11th season of the Pro Kabaddi League, held at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on Monday. This victory marks Haryana’s second win in three matches, while Delhi faced its second defeat in four outings.
Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (10 points) and Shivam Patare (8 points) played crucial roles in Haryana’s success, supported by Jaideep, who achieved a High-5 in raiding. Despite an impressive performance from Ashu Malik (13 points) for Delhi, the team couldn’t secure a win, mainly due to star raider Naveen Kumar’s struggles, scoring only three points. Vinay contributed with 8 points.
Early dominance by Haryana
Ashu opened Delhi’s account with a point on the first raid, but Shadloui quickly countered, catching him in a brilliant ankle hold on the second raid. By the fourth minute, Haryana had established a 4-1 lead. Delhi managed to secure another point, but Haryana extended their lead to 6-2 by taking down Ashu for the second time. Vinay then scored two points on a do-or-die raid, bringing the score to 4-6.
Shivam took his turn on a do-or-die raid for Haryana, securing another point. Delhi attempted to regroup but fell short as Haryana’s defence tackled Vinay, levelling the score momentarily. After ten minutes of play, Haryana led 10-7.
Strategic moves by Haryana
With a super tackle, Haryana increased their lead to 13-9, and Shadloui’s first super raid pushed the score to 16-9. Delhi was now under pressure as Haryana achieved their seventh tackle point, pushing Delhi towards an all-out and executing it to take a commanding lead of 22-12.
Jaideep completed a High-5 for Haryana as the first half came to a close. Delhi’s raiders struggled, while Haryana’s defenders were relentless, leading to a halftime score of 24-13 in favour of Haryana.
Delhi’s comeback efforts
After the break, Delhi’s defence began to find its footing. Ashu’s successful raid against Setpal momentarily turned the tide, bringing Haryana closer to an all-out, but Sahil managed to tackle Naveen, narrowing the score to 30-21. Haryana’s defence then captured Ashu, extending their lead to 11 points, while Shivam tackled Nitin during a do-or-die raid.
Super-sub Vinay scored two points with a dubki, pushing the score to 33-23 in Haryana’s favour after 30 minutes. However, Ashu managed to execute the first all-out against Haryana with a super raid, closing the gap to 28-34 and achieving his super-10. In a subsequent raid, Naveen returned injured.
Final moments of the game
Shadloui’s continued to excel, tackling Ashu during a do-or-die raid to make it 36-28. Yet, Delhi rallied back, scoring four consecutive points to reduce the deficit to six. Although Delhi lost the match, they still managed to earn a point for the points table.