The Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 moves into another intriguing contest as table-toppers Dabang Delhi K.C. lock horns with Gujarat Giants in Match 28 at the Vishwanadh Sports Club, Vizag. While Delhi are unbeaten and soaring on the back of Ashu Malik’s brilliance, Gujarat are seeking consistency after three defeats in their first four matches. This clash pits the in-form “Agent Ashu” against the out-of-form “Showstopper Shadloui” in a duel of captains.

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

Gujarat Giants
 Right Corner – Himanshu
 Right In – Himanshu Singh
 Right Cover – Nitin Panwar
 Centre – Rakesh
 Left Cover – Shubham Kumar
 Left In – Shridhar Kadam
 Left Corner – Mohammadreza Shadloui (C)

Headlines

➢ Agent Ashu vs Showstopper Shadloui
 ➢ Showstopper Shadloui needs to up his game
 ➢ Delhi defence led by Fazel and Surjeet is doing their part
 ➢ Rakesh needs support from other raiders
 ➢ Nitin Panwar, the lone ranger in Gujarat’s defence

Top Stories of the Match

Agent Ashu Malik vs Showstopper Shadloui

Dabang Delhi K.C. are on a dream run with four wins from four games, thanks largely to the brilliance of captain Ashu Malik.
 He has already scored 61 raid points and has four consecutive Super 10s:

  • 15 vs Bengaluru Bulls
  • 10 vs Puneri Paltan
  • 20 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers
  • 16 vs Bengal Warriorz

Ashu has scored about 70% of Delhi’s raid points this season, proving how heavily the team depends on him. He is also:

  • 2nd-best in average raid points in PKL 12
  • Most raid points in do-or-die raids
  • 2nd-most bonus points scored this season
  • Stronger in the first half and controls the second half with calculated empty raids

He has historically done well against Gujarat, averaging 9 points per match at 63% raid SR.

Shadloui, meanwhile, has had his worst start to any season:

  • 4 matches | 6 raid points | 5 tackle points
  • Only 1 tackle point in the last match vs Jaipur Pink Panthers, which Gujarat lost in the golden raid

However, the Iranian all-rounder is a proven match-winner — a two-time consecutive PKL champion (PKL 10 with Puneri Paltan and PKL 11 with Haryana Steelers), one of only three players in history with 300+ tackle points and 100+ raid points, and averages 4 points per match at a 70% tackle SR vs Delhi.

If Gujarat are to upset Delhi, Shadloui will have to rediscover his “Showstopper” mode.

Team Stories

Dabang Delhi K.C. – PKL 12 So Far

M#9 vs Bengaluru Bulls: Won 41–34
M#14 vs Puneri Paltan: Won 28(5)–28(5) [Golden Raid 2–0]
M#20 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers: Won 36–35
M#23 vs Bengal Warriorz: Won 45–34

Dabang Delhi K.C. are sitting comfortably at the top with 4 wins from 4 games. They opened their campaign with a win over Bengaluru Bulls, then edged past Puneri Paltan in a golden raid thriller before outlasting Jaipur Pink Panthers and Bengal Warriorz. Ashu Malik has been the undisputed star, while their experienced defence has supported him well.

Sultan Fazel Atrachali Anchors Delhi’s Defence

  • Sultan Fazel Atrachali, one of PKL’s all-time great defenders, has led Delhi’s defence well alongside Surjeet Singh.
  • While Fazel had just 1 tackle point vs Bengal Warriorz, he has had a solid start overall and is Delhi’s joint-highest tackle point scorer this season with Saurabh Nandal.
  • Delhi average 10 tackle points per match, and Fazel remains their most dependable presence.
  • Surjeet, PKL’s all-time leading cover defender, is yet to hit top form but will look to bounce back and support Fazel.

Gujarat Giants – PKL 12 So Far

M#4 vs U Mumba: Lost 29(6)–29(5) [Tie-breaker]
M#8 vs Puneri Paltan: Lost 19–41
M#18 vs Tamil Thalaivas: Won 37–28
M#24 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers: Lost 30(5)–30(5) [Golden Raid 1–0]

Gujarat Giants have endured a frustrating start, with three losses from four games — including two heartbreakers in tiebreakers and golden raids.
 Their only win came against Tamil Thalaivas, while close losses to U Mumba and Jaipur Pink Panthers have left them desperate for momentum.
 Rakesh has been their only consistent raider, while Nitin Panwar has shone in defence.

Rakesh Needs Support & Nitin Panwar – Lone Ranger in Defence

  • Gujarat have struggled for raid output, averaging just 14.5 raid points per game — the lowest in PKL 12.
  • They had no Super 10s from raiders in their first three matches, before Rakesh finally broke through with one in the last game.
  • Defensively, Nitin Panwar has been their lone consistent performer with multiple super tackles — he has the joint-most super tackles in PKL 12.
  • The rest of the defensive unit has lacked consistency, performing well in one match and collapsing in the next.

Head-to-Head in PKL

Overall: Matches – 16 | Dabang Delhi K.C. – 7 | Gujarat Giants – 6 | Tied – 3
 Since PKL 8: Gujarat have beaten Delhi only once.

Key Player Battles

Dabang Delhi K.C.’s Raiders vs Gujarat Giants’ Defenders
 Ashu Malik 9 – 8 Shadloui
 Ajinkya Pawar 6 – 8 Shadloui
 Neeraj Narwal 1 – 3 Shadloui

Gujarat Giants’ Raiders vs Dabang Delhi K.C.’s Defenders
 Rakesh 6 – 2 Surjeet Singh
 Rakesh 5 – 1 Fazel Atrachali
 Parteek Dahiya 6 – 2 Surjeet Singh
 Parteek Dahiya 3 – 3 Fazel Atrachali

What to Expect

This is a clash between one of the league’s most dominant sides and one still finding its feet. Expect Ashu Malik to lead Delhi’s raids and control the tempo, while Shadloui will try to inspire Gujarat’s faltering defence. If Shadloui fails to fire again, Delhi could run away with it — but if he does, we could be in for a thrilling upset.

Match Details

  • Match: Dabang Delhi K.C. vs Gujarat Giants – Match 28, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Thursday, 11th September 2025
  • Time: 9:00 PM IST
  • Venue: Vishwanadh Sports Club, Vizag
  • 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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