Dabang Delhi fight but it’s Puneri Paltan’s night

Puneri Paltan executed a clinical performance in all departments to beat Dabang Delhi K.C. in their VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 match at the Mankapur Indoor Stadium on Friday. Delhi’s Anand Patil was the only raider to get some amount of success against a fierce Puneri Paltan defence as they went down 26-21 to the franchise from Maharashtra.

Rajesh Mondal started things off well for Puneri Paltan as they managed an early lead. At the other end, the Dabang Delhi K.C. raiders tried hard to get points but the Paltan defence proved solid as a rock. The Delhi side had to fall back on their defence but even they couldn’t keep up with Paltan captain Deepak Hooda’s running hand touches, and conceded a half time lead of 11-7.

Dabang Delhi K.C. rode on Patil’s quick raiding in the second half and equalised at 13-13 in the 5th minute with a well-timed super tackle. But Mondal continued to shine for the Paltan and handed Dabang Delhi K.C. an all-out soon after, giving his side the lead yet again. Mondal and Hooda kept things in check after that as Pune cruised to a comfortable victory.

The strong Puneri Paltan defence was the highlight of the match as Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Sandeep Narwal showed unmatched skill to keep the Dabang Delhi K.C. raiders at bay. Mondal proved to be a utility player for the Pune team, doing well in do-or-die raids as well as defence.

The Paltan will now look to keep up their winning streak on Thursday against Jaipur Pink Panthers, who also boast an impressive defensive line up led by One-Man-Army Manjeet Chhillar. Meanwhile, Dabang Delhi K.C.’s quest for their second victory of the season will continue against U Mumba tomorrow.