Pro Kabaddi League: The success story of 2021-22 winners Dabang Delhi

From the bottom of the table to the top

Their win was a result of the Pirates' poor substitution tactics as they were left without their best raiders on the mat for the final minutes.

Delhi's star raider Naveen Kumar (13 points) and all-rounder Vijay (14 points) won the Super 10s, defeating three-time champion Patna Pirates. The game got off to an exciting start, with both raiding teams scoring points. The defenses took a cautious approach and gave up easy Bonus Points as a result, while Sachin's quickness produced a snag in the game.

Mohammadreza Shadloui Chianeh, an Iranian Kabaddi player, made the first successful tackle in the seventh minute, sending Naveen Kumar to the dugout. As a result of this, Patna was able to get a man advantage on the mat, and by the 11th minute, they had converted it into an ALL OUT.

The Pirates acquired a four-point lead, but Delhi united quickly, with Sandeep Narwal effectively challenging Sachin before both Delhi's Joginder Narwal and Patna's Chianeh did bizarre blunders in the left corner.

Until the last minute

In the final minutes of the first half, it became an evasive affair, with both teams trying to force their opponents into making a mistake. During halftime, the score was 17-15, with Patna in the lead. In the first half, neither team recorded more than two successful tackles.

With successful invasions, Naveen Kumar and Sachin began the second half and in the early minutes, Delhi's seasoned defense came closer to inflicting an ALL OUT.

Guman Singh, a raider, clinched a two-point raid in the sixth minute after the break to save Patna, who were up against it.

After that, Chianeh followed up with a tackle on Naveen Kumar. Patna believed they had turned the match around, but Delhi's all-rounder Vijay snatched a three-point Super Raid to keep the pressure on.

In the final play of the game, the Pirates had an opportunity to tie the game, but Naveen avoided the defenders to cross the baulk line giving Delhi its first VIVO PKL trophy.

While their young 19-year-old raider Naveen Kumar led from the front, the experienced defenders were supportive, and coach Krishan Hooda was overjoyed that his team had developed as a unit.

Hooda told IANS, "The devotion and hard work of our players and support staff have contributed enormously to our success this season. We've worked together as a team not only on the mat but also off it."

The coach believes that starting a two-month training camp before the league's debut was a wise decision. He continued, "Also, this year's extra preparations have been quite beneficial. I realised that to succeed this season, we would have to train longer and harder than we had previously. So, I decided to train for two more months to prepare for the season, and the franchise was completely supportive of my decision."