Pro Kabaddi League: How are defending champions Delhi Dabang KC this year? What are their chances of winning Season nine?

They defeated three-time champion Patna Pirates in a thrilling final, a feat that significantly increased Dabang Delhi's popularity overnight. Over the last eight seasons, only the Pirates have managed to defend the title.

After winning season three, they reclaimed the trophy in the fourth and fifth seasons. With Pardeep Narwal at the helm, victory came easy for the Pirates, something Dabang Delhi KC will try with raider Naveen Kumar's support this time. 

Although winning would be difficult, they have retained their main raiders, Naveen Kumar and Vijay Malik, to rebuild a new squad around them. Now, here is why the Delhi-based team could win the title two times in a row!

Naveen Kumar and Vijay Malik could form a stellar partnership

Naveen Kumar and Vijay Malik could be one of the most lethal pairings seen in Pro Kabaddi League history. They individually make for dangerous raiders who finished in the top 15 of the raiders' leaderboard in PKL eight.

They played an essential role in Delhi's championship run in the last edition. Although Naveen snapped up 207 raid points in 17 matches, Vijay was a brilliant pillar of support visible in the 157 raid points he scored over 23 games. 

Before the season nine auctions, Dabang Delhi KC head coach Krishan Kumar Hooda specifically stressed the importance of the pair with regards to their chances of victory, calling them the "future of Indian kabaddi."

"Vijay has played four-five seasons, Naveen has played three seasons. 

They are the future of India, and they will shoulder the responsibilities of Dabang Delhi KC as well," proudly stated the coach.

Reports mention that he is delighted to have such revolutionary youngsters in his team.

Corner pairing of Amit Hooda and Sandeep Dhull

Joginder Narwal and Sandeep Narwal were offloaded before the Pro Kabaddi 2022 auction. Now, former Jaipur Pink Panthers defenders Amit Hooda and Sandeep Kumar Dhull are expected to fill up the gaps left behind by these staggering departures. 

The duo that could bolster the squad's corner are very experienced in the league. Left corner Dhull has 260 tackle points to his credit, while corner Hooda has earned 239 tackle points in the league. 

They will be unstoppable and instrumental in leading Delhi to another title win in peak form.

X-factor Ravi Kumar

Initially, the fact that Dabang Delhi KC signed a right-cover defender Ravi Kumar for a hefty ₹64.10 lakhs at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 auction was not understandable to fans. 

He secured 25 tackle points last season for the Haryana Steelers, but the defender also scored 52 tackle points the season before.

He was also kept from regularly playing at the correct cover position for Haryana last season. He could turn the game around if Delhi deployed him there and provided more reinforcements.