Sandeep Narwal’s incredible solo tackle on Chandran Ranjit

With the game at a pivotal stage, the score at 26-25 in Dabang Delhi K.C.’s favour and all seven men on the mat for the team from the team, Puneri Paltan were in a spot of bother. They had just four men on the mat.

Dabang Delhi K.C. raider Chandran Ranjit came in for a Do-Or-Die raid and the right chain of Puneri Paltan stood deep into their own half to lure him in, which would allow the chain on the left to come in and tackle the raider. But when Ranjit dashed across the mat to get a running hand touch on the left chain instead they retreated quickly that for a fleeting moment captain Girish Maruti Ernak lost sight of where the lobby was and accidentally stepped on to it, leading to an automatic out.

With the point surrendered and the raider no longer in a danger of sacrificing a point, and himself, if he returned to his own half, Puneri Paltan’s defenders had to take action and Sandeep Narwal more than obliged to his team’s need.

The Right Corner charged the raider, who tried to get a touch and turn quickly. But Narwal’s grip around his body was too strong for Ranjit to escape. With Sandeep’s hand wrapped around him, Ranjit attempted to get his feet over his line and get a two-point raid that would have left Puneri Paltan with just two men on the mat.

But before his feet could cross the line, Narwal, in a display of technique and strength that a wrestler would have been proud of, picked Ranjit up in the air and moved him to the ground. This heart-stopping move from the Right Corner brought on a chorus of cheers from the crowd, high-five and hugs from his team, two points to Puneri Paltan’s score and most importantly a revival on the mat.

If the speed in his charge at Ranjit wasn’t impressive enough, the grip strength that Narwal displayed was worth applause. But the job wasn’t done there. Narwal had the presence of mind to realise that Ranjit was trying to get his feet over the line and, in a jiffy, he used his core strength to generate enough strength to lift off a full-grown professional athlete off his feet and take him to the ground. It was a visual treat and a moment of sheer individual brilliance from the Right Corner. A tackle that was worth two points, as well as a tackle worth appreciating.