Dabang Delhi K.C. produced a magnificent performance and subjected Jaipur Pink Panthers to their first loss of VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 7 at the Patliputra Indoor Stadium in Patna on Monday. Naveen Kumar picked up another Super 10, while Chandran Ranjit contributed in attack as well as defence. After the match, Dabang Delhi K.C.’s captain Joginder Narwal, Chandran Ranjit and star raider Naveen Kumar addressed the media at the post-match press conference, while coach Srinivas Reddy and captain Deepak Hooda spoke from the Jaipur Pink Panthers camp.

Chandran Ranjit, Joginder Narwal and star raider Naveen Kumar at the post-match press conference

Dabang Delhi K.C.

Q. Joginder, very good win. What did you make of Naveen Kumar and Chandran Ranjit’s performances?

Joginder Narwal: Look, the game was close at the start but Naveen and Ranjit’s super raids changed the course of match in our favour. If a raider can get you six points in a raid, then it’s really very beneficial to the team.

Q. Naveen, how pleased are you with your performances this year?

Naveen Kumar: I am very happy that my team won. We played together as a team, the defence worked well, they supported us well. As long as they support us, the team will do well. 

Q. Joginder, what do you make of Ravinder Pahal’s performances in this season?

Joginder Narwal: See, I watched him play the first four matches, I’m not sure why but sometimes luck tends to abandon a sportsman. Sometimes the body doesn’t work, for example in the last two games his body wasn’t at a 100%. But the entire team had confidence in him and told him you have to stay on the mat for as long as possible today. So, he told us at the start that he won’t leave the mat tonight and that he’d be on the mat for 99% of the time. He did that and see how well our team performed. 

Jaipur Pink Panthers coach Srinivas Reddy and captain Deepak Hooda at the post-match press conference

Jaipur Pink Panthers

Q. Coach, what are your thoughts on the game?

Srinivas Reddy: Our defence didn’t work today. There was one particular raid where we conceded six points. The momentum of the game changed from there. Up until then it was close, but that raid opened up a big lead for them.

Q. Deepak, you performed very well today even though the team didn’t. Are you disappointed with your defence?

Deepak Hooda: No, I don’t feel that they disappointed. It’s not easy to keep performing at a high level every match. But still they played pretty well today even though there were quite a few mistakes. The turning point was the Super Raid by Dabang Delhi K.C. because it gave them a big lead. 

Q. So, you agree with your coach that the six-point raid was the turning point in the game?

Deepak Hooda: Yes, the six-point Super Raid was the turning point of the contest because they just had a three-point lead on us prior to that. They maybe had four players on the mat, but we couldn’t take advantage and they did, which is why we lost.