Pro Kabaddi 2019: Naveen Kumar guides Dabang Delhi to victory over Jaipur Pink Panthers in PKL

Bengaluru: Naveen Kumar dished out a superlative performance as Dabang Delhi beat Jaipur Pink Panthers 46-44 in a Pro Kabaddi League match at the Sree Kanteevara Stadium on Wednesday. The raider picked up 16 points, including a record-setting 10th consecutive Super 10, as the Delhi side overcame a stiff challenge from Jaipur Pink Panthers to consolidate their position on top of the points table. [caption id=“attachment_7285761” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Action from the Dabang Delhi versus Jaipur Pink Panthers game which teh former won. Image courtesy: PKL[/caption] The first half of the match saw both teams trade blows. The Delhi unit had a dream start to the match when their raider Chandran Ranjit pulled off a five-point raid in the second minute of the match to severely reduce the Jaipur men on the mat. The Pink Panthers, who went into the game on the back of a three-match losing streak, looked clueless as a dominant Delhi side inflicted the first All-Out of the match in the fourth minute. Jaipur didn’t take the All-Out lightly though and captain Deepak Niwas Hooda initiated a comeback with some strong raids. Nitin Rawal picked up a five-point raid in the 12th minute to clean up the Delhi players and force an All-Out on the table toppers. The closely-fought first half ended with Dabang Delhi leading by two points (21-19). The second half, much like the first, started with the Delhi side on the front foot. But Sachin Narwal produced an important two-point raid that saved the Pink Panthers from an All-Out and handed the momentum to the Season one winners. Elavarasan produced two mighty Super Tackles as the Pink Panthers started moving into a lead and the Jaipur team inflicted another All-Out on Delhi in the 12th minute of the second half to make the scores 35-29 in their favour. The incredible Naveen Kumar, however, kept the Delhi side in the game, clinching his 10th consecutive Super 10 with five minutes remaining. A three-point raid by Delhi’s Vijay in the dying minutes made it a close affair. And not surprisingly it was the table-toppers who held their nerves to pick a final minute All-out that pushed them to a 2-point lead which proved enough for a win.