Krishan Kumar Hooda: Heading into the Playoffs with a win keeps our morale high

Dabang Delhi K.C. ran out 37-31 winners against Bengal Warriors at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday on the back of Meraj Sheykh’s Super 10. Representing Dabang Delhi K.C. at the post-match press conference were captain Joginder Narwal and coach Krishan Kumar Hooda while Ran Singh and coach Jagdish Kumble took questions for Bengal Warriors.

Dabang Delhi K.C.

Q: With two minutes to go, it looked like the match could go either way. What do you have to say about the result?

Joginder Narwal: It was our final raid and our coach, Krishan Kumar Hooda, advised us to send Meraj Sheykh to try and get maximum possible points; even if it was an unsuccessful raid, it wasn’t a problem. However, Sheykh got us five points from the raid and led us to a win. The coach’s hunch paid off and we could get the win.

Q: How important is it for you to carry this momentum into the Playoffs?

Krishan Kumar Hooda: I had rested a few of our players for a few games and it was necessary to do that because everyone needs to be prepared for the Playoffs. The reserve players can be called upon at any moment. Heading into the Playoffs with a win keeps our morale high. Each team has an equal chance in the Playoffs and whatever happens depends on the day. This win makes us more confident. Dabang Delhi K.C. will play to their fullest and we will try our best to lift the trophy.

Q: What do you have to say about the match today?

Krishan Kumar Hooda: The players are experienced enough to know how to play in such situations. They played according to our strategy and, despite being a little off-colour for a period in the middle, came back strongly. We have very good raiders amidst us so, even if one underperforms on a given day, we have others to back him up.

Bengal Warriors

Q: Where do you think the match went out of hand?

Jagdish Kumble: It was a very closely fought game. However, the game shifted when Naveen Kumar got a bonus and two of our players stepped out of the playing area. Had we not conceded those two points, we would have had the upper hand going into the second half. Similarly, we conceded an All-Out in the final minute. We had inflicted a Super Tackle in their previous raid and looked for it again. Bhupender Singh, though, couldn’t manage to get enough contact that time and Meraj Sheykh walked away with five points.

Q: Your views on your defence today?

Ran Singh: We committed a lot of errors. The two self-outs that went against us shifted the momentum. Had we lost only one point on Meraj Sheykh’s final raid, we might still have stood a chance to cover it up; however, five points was a bit too steep.