The ultimate showdown arrives as second-placed Dabang Delhi K.C. face table-toppers Puneri Paltan in the PKL 12 Final. Agent Ashu Malik's journey from PKL 8 rookie champion to captain seeking his first title meets Aslam Inamdar's quest to become the first captain with multiple PKL titles, whilst Sultan Fazel Atrachali chases his third championship against the league's best defence.

Probable Starting 7

Dabang Delhi K.C.

  • Right Corner -- Saurabh Nandal
  • Right In -- Ajinkya Pawar
  • Right Cover -- Surjeet Singh
  • Centre -- Ashu Malik (C)
  • Left Cover -- Sandeep
  • Left In -- Neeraj Narwal
  • Left Corner -- Fazel Atrachali

Puneri Paltan

  • Right Corner -- Gaurav Khatri
  • Right In -- Aditya Shinde
  • Right Cover -- Abinesh Nadarajan
  • Centre -- Pankaj Mohite
  • Left Cover -- Gurdeep
  • Left In -- Aslam Inamdar (C)
  • Left Corner -- Vishal Bhardwaj

Headlines

➢ The Final Showdown: Dabang Delhi v Puneri Paltan
➢ 3 intense clashes, 3 tie-breakers: 2 for Delhi, 1 for Pune
➢ Agent Ashu: From rookie title winner in PKL 8 to captain aiming for his 1st title
➢ Aslam Inamdar aims to become the 1st captain with multiple PKL titles
➢ Battle of the coaches: Joginder Narwal (Delhi) v Ajay Thakur (Pune)
➢ Table-toppers have become champions in last 3 PKL seasons
➢ Puneri Paltan with the best defence facing Delhi defence led by Sultan Fazel
➢ Delhi's support raiders stepped up in Ashu's absence
➢ Pune's raiding duo coming into final in top form
➢ Sultan Fazel targets milestone of 600 tackle points on biggest stage

Top Stories of the Match

Final Showdown -- Daring Dabang Delhi vs Dashing Puneri Paltan

The stage is set for an epic conclusion as two teams with contrasting paths converge on the ultimate prize. Their three encounters this season have produced the most thrilling spectacles -- all three matches decided in tie-breakers, including PKL 12's first-ever golden raid match.

Match #14 delivered unprecedented drama with Dabang Delhi winning 28-28 (2-0) in golden raid -- the first in PKL 12 history. Ashu Malik's Super 10 and Fazel Atrachali's High 5 proved decisive.

Match #79 saw Puneri Paltan exact revenge with multiple raiders contributing. Despite Ajinkya Pawar's Super 10 and Fazel's High 5, Puneri Paltan won 38-38 (6-5) in the tie-breaker.

Qualifier 1 produced another enthralling contest with Dabang Delhi winning 34-34 (6-4) in the tie-breaker.

HEAD-TO-HEAD (IN PKL 12) -- Matches: 3 | Dabang Delhi: 2 | Puneri Paltan: 1 (All 3 tie-breakers)

Overall in PKL -- Matches: 27 | Dabang Delhi: 11 | Puneri Paltan: 13 | Tied: 3

Championship credentials:

Both teams are playing their 3rd PKL Final:

  • Dabang Delhi -- Runners-up (PKL 7), Champions (PKL 8)
  • Puneri Paltan -- Runners-up (PKL 9), Champions (PKL 10)

The table-toppers' trend adds intrigue -- champions have finished first in the league stages for the last three seasons. Puneri Paltan topped the table in PKL 12, mirroring their PKL 10 championship campaign.

The coaching battle: Joginder Narwal and Ajay Thakur played together for Dabang Delhi in PKL 8 when they became champions. Now they face off as rivals, with the winner joining Manpreet Singh as the second coach to win the PKL title both as player and coach.

Joginder Narwal as coach:

  • PKL 11-12: 42 matches, 27 wins (64% win rate, 2 playoffs)

Ajay Thakur's maiden season:

  • PKL 12: 20 matches, 14 wins (70% win rate)

Battle of Two Captains -- Agent Ashu vs Aslam Inamdar

Agent Ashu Malik has come full circle -- from winning PKL 8 as a rookie to now leading the same franchise to the Finals in PKL 12.

Ashu Malik in PKL 12:

  • 150 raid points in 13 matches (11.5 average, 60% SR)
  • 8 Super 10s -- joint-third most in the league
  • 4th-best raider in PKL 12 by average

Best average raid points in PKL 12:

  • Devank: 16.9 average (74% SR)
  • Ayan: 14.4 average (73% SR)
  • Arjun Deshwal: 11.6 average (57% SR)
  • Ashu Malik: 11.5 average (60% SR)

His do-or-die mastery -- 22 points at 92% success rate ranks joint-second in the league.

The injury concern casts shadow. After missing six matches, Ashu returned for Qualifier 1 but struggled with only 4 raid points.

However, his record against Puneri Paltan provides confidence:

Ashu Malik vs Puneri Paltan since PKL 9:

  • 8 matches: 78 raid points (9.8 average, 3 Super 10s)

Aslam Inamdar aims to become the first-ever captain with multiple PKL titles after leading Pune to glory in PKL 10.

Aslam Inamdar as captain:

  • 45 matches: 31 wins (69% win rate)

His leadership philosophy differs -- he lets main players shine, stepping in only when required. His calm presence has made the difference though his numbers don't reflect his impact.

Aslam Inamdar in PKL 12:

  • 16 matches: 56 raid points (3.5 average), 19 tackle points (1.2 average)

Team Stories

Dabang Delhi K.C. -- PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results:

  • Qualifier 1 vs Puneri Paltan -- Won 34-34 (6-4 tie-breaker)
  • M#105 vs Patna Pirates -- Lost 26-61 (rested main players)
  • M#94 vs Bengaluru Bulls -- Lost 23-33 (rested main players)
  • M#92 vs Tamil Thalaivas -- Won 37-31
  • M#79 vs Puneri Paltan -- Lost 38-38 (6-5 tie-breaker)

Dabang Delhi finished 2nd position and secured direct Finals entry by defeating Puneri Paltan in Qualifier 1. This is their third PKL Final and they've reached playoffs seven consecutive seasons since PKL 6.

Delhi Support Raiders Step Up at Crucial Time

Dabang Delhi's raiding unit ranks impressively despite Ashu's injury absence:

Dabang Delhi raiding unit in PKL 12:

  • 401 raid points in 19 matches (21.1 average, 52% SR)

All support raiders maintained raid success rates greater than 40%:

Dabang Delhi support raiders in PKL 12:

  • Neeraj Narwal: 79 points (4.4 average, 40% SR)
  • Ajinkya Pawar: 59 points (3.5 average, 41% SR)
  • Akshit: 48 points (4.8 average, 84% SR)

Qualifier 1 performance demonstrated depth. With Ashu struggling, Neeraj Narwal delivered 7 raid points at 50% SR including the super raid that brought Delhi back.

Akshit's emergence has been revelatory:

  • 3 Super 10s in 10 matches
  • Best raid SR% in final 10 minutes -- 118% (20+ raid points)

Delhi Defence Standing Strong with Sultan Fazel at the Helm

The defensive unit features three players with 300+ tackle points in PKL history:

Dabang Delhi defence unit in PKL 12:

  • 203 tackle points in 19 matches (10.7 average, 44% SR)

The corner duo ranks among PKL 12's elite:

Dabang Delhi corners in PKL 12:

  • Fazel Atrachali: 51 points (2.8 average, 54% SR, 4 High 5s)
  • Saurabh Nandal: 50 points (2.8 average, 59% SR, 3 High 5s)

Fazel Atrachali's illustrious career:

  • 2-time PKL Champion (PKL 2, PKL 4)
  • 3-time PKL Runners-up (PKL 3, PKL 5, PKL 9)
  • Only defender with 50+ tackle points in 9 consecutive seasons
  • 596 tackle points -- needs 4 to reach historic 600 milestone

Surjeet Singh will be playing in his first Final after debuting in PKL 3.

The cover partnership of Surjeet (69 assists) and Sandeep (65 assists) ranks in the top 5 for assists in PKL 12.

Puneri Paltan -- PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results:

  • Qualifier 2 vs Telugu Titans -- Won 50-45
  • Qualifier 1 vs Dabang Delhi -- Lost 34-34 (6-4 tie-breaker)
  • M#99 vs Patna Pirates -- Lost 27-38 (rested players)
  • M#95 vs Telugu Titans -- Lost 31-40 (rested players)
  • M#86 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers -- Won 57-33

Puneri Paltan finished 1st position after a 7-match winning streak to end group stages. This is their 3rd Final in last four seasons -- Runners-up (PKL 9), Champions (PKL 10).

Pune's Raiding Duo Coming Into Final in Top Form

Aditya Shinde and Pankaj Mohite delivered both Super 10s in Qualifier 2 against Telugu Titans.

Puneri Paltan raiders vs Titans in Qualifier 2:

  • Aditya Shinde: 21 raid points at 105% SR (4-point super raid)
  • Pankaj Mohite: 10 raid points at 56% SR

Puneri Paltan raiding in PKL 12:

  • Rank 3rd: 428 raid points (21.4 average, 52% SR)

Puneri Paltan raiders in PKL 12:

  • Aditya Shinde: 149 points (8.8 average, 19 multi-point raids)
  • Pankaj Mohite: 114 points (6.3 average, 16 multi-point raids)

Puneri Paltan have inflicted 38 all-outs (most this season).

Super tackle dominance:

  • Aditya Shinde: 96% raid SR in 2-3 DIP (best in league, 15+ points)
  • Pankaj Mohite: 79% raid SR in 2-3 DIP

Aditya Shinde ranks 3rd-best raid SR% in PKL 12 (100+ raid points):

  • Devank: 74% SR
  • Ayan: 73% SR
  • Aditya Shinde: 67% SR

Pankaj Mohite's playoff pedigree:

  • 6 matches: 46 raid points (7.7 average, 3 Super 10s)

Puneri Paltan with the Best Defence Facing Delhi Defence Led by Sultan Fazel

Puneri Paltan boast the best defence in PKL 12:

Best average tackle points in PKL 12:

  • Puneri Paltan: 11.9 average at 46% SR
  • Haryana Steelers: 11.8 average at 45% SR
  • U Mumba: 11.8 average at 45% SR

Pune's defence ranks (Average tackle points):

  • PKL 12: 1st | PKL 11: 3rd | PKL 10: 1st

They are the only team with four defenders scoring 30+ tackle points in PKL 12:

Puneri Paltan defenders in PKL 12:

  • Gaurav Khatri: 59 points (3.3 average, 60% SR, 5 High 5s)
  • Gurdeep: 40 points (2.4 average, 45% SR, 3 High 5s)
  • Vishal Bhardwaj: 35 points (2.1 average, 57% SR, 2 High 5s)
  • Abinesh Nadarajan: 31 points (1.6 average, 44% SR, 1 High 5)

Abinesh Nadarajan leads assists with 59 -- most in Pune.

Gaurav Khatri's excellence against Delhi:

Gaurav Khatri vs Dabang Delhi in PKL 12:

  • 3 matches: 12 tackle points (4.0 average, 92% SR)

Gaurav Khatri in playoffs (Overall PKL):

  • 6 matches: 20 tackle points (3.3 average, 65% SR)

Head-to-Head in PKL

Overall: Matches -- 27 | Dabang Delhi K.C. -- 11 | Puneri Paltan -- 13 | Tied -- 3

Recent Form (Last 5 meetings):

  • PKL 12 Qualifier 1: Dabang Delhi won 34-34 (6-4 tie-breaker)
  • PKL 12 M#79: Puneri Paltan won 38-38 (6-5 tie-breaker)
  • PKL 12 M#14: Dabang Delhi won 28-28 (2-0 golden raid)
  • PKL 11 M#102: Dabang Delhi won 30-26
  • PKL 11 M#50: Match tied 38-38

Key Player Battles

Dabang Delhi K.C.'s Raiders vs Puneri Paltan's Defenders (PKL 12)

  • Ashu Malik 1--3 Gaurav Khatri
  • Ashu Malik 4--1 Vishal Bhardwaj
  • Ashu Malik 4--2 Abinesh Nadarajan
  • Ajinkya Pawar 2--4 Gaurav Khatri
  • Ajinkya Pawar 3--0 Vishal Bhardwaj

Puneri Paltan's Raiders vs Dabang Delhi K.C.'s Defenders (PKL 12)

  • Pankaj Mohite 4--4 Saurabh Nandal
  • Pankaj Mohite 3--4 Fazel Atrachali
  • Aditya Shinde 4--1 Fazel Atrachali
  • Aditya Shinde 4--0 Surjeet Singh

What to Expect

This Final promises to be a fascinating tactical battle between contrasting philosophies. Dabang Delhi's balanced excellence meets Puneri Paltan's league-best defence in a match that could define both teams' legacies.

The key battles -- Ashu Malik's fitness and form versus Gaurav Khatri's defensive mastery, and the raiding duo of Aditya Shinde-Pankaj Mohite against Fazel Atrachali's championship experience -- will likely determine the outcome.

Expect a closely contested affair where execution under pressure proves decisive. With all three PKL 12 meetings decided in tie-breakers, another thriller awaits as one team etches their name in championship glory.

Match Details

  • Match: Dabang Delhi K.C. vs Puneri Paltan -- Final, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Friday, 31st October 2025
  • Time: 6:30 PM IST
  • Venue: Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium, Delhi
  • LIVE Streaming: Watch LIVE on Star Sports Network and JioHotstar. For LIVE scores and updates, visit prokabaddi.com or download the Pro Kabaddi Official App.

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