The moment one enters in the vicinity of anything related to Pro Kabaddi outfit Dabang Delhi, a sense of amazement and curiosity tends to take over and several questions arise. Here is a team that is right at the bottom of the Pro Kabaddi 2016 Season 4 points table and about to begin its home leg but nothing seems to deter the mentality in the camp. The team, including coach Sagar Bandekar, raider Kashiling Adake and defender Sachin Shingade, said that the team still believes that they can make the semi-finals.
Dabang Delhi have personified inconsistency Pro Kabaddi 201 Season 4, producing moments of brilliance on one hand and showing utter lack of application on the other. As they enter their home leg, Delhi have the uphill task of winning all four of their games if they are to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time in the history of Pro Kabaddi and given the run of fixtures, the possibility is quite bleak.
After starting off against Bengal Warriors tonight, Delhi face Patna Pirates, Puneri Paltan and U Mumba over the next three days. With Patna and Jaipur Pink Panthers already qualified for the final four, only two places are up for grabs and Delhi will be competing with Puneri Paltan and U Mumba, something that can never be easy for them. Coach Sagar Bandekar, however, said that there is no reason why his team should not believe in getting that semi-final spot.
“There are four games left and I feel we have played well till now. Some of the matches have been really close and I have a young team in place, which will mature with time. I am proud of what they have done and we believe the semi-final spot is there for the taking. The games are tough but we will give it our best and try to win the games. We have been working hard and cannot wait to start playing in front of the home crowd,” Bandekar said.
Delhi started the season with Kashiling Adake as their captain but a dip in his form saw coach Bandekar drop their star raider and replace him with Iranian maverick Meraj Sheykh, who has been the Eagles’ best player this season by a country mile. Upon being asked whether there’s too much pressure on Meraj, Kashiling Adake said, “Meraj’s movements are really good and we utilise him wherever possible. The opposition also needs to be kept in mind while selecting the team.”
“We know about Meraj’s capabilities and how he can influence the game for us. This makes it really important for us to use him whenever possible. He can raid and tackle both really well,” added coach Bandekar. The Iranian, however, was not present at the press conference but Sportskeeda managed to catch up with him for a brief while and despite not being able to speak English, he indicated that his ankle was a bit strained.
A strained ankle for Meraj Sheykh cannot be good news for Delhi, who will be up against a Bengal Warriors side that has nothing to lose and will be looking to just express themselves. Sachin Shingade, one of the best defenders of Pro Kabaddi 2016 Season 4, will need to be wary of the Jang Kun Lee threat and be patient with his advanced tackles, which have cost Delhi heavy on occasion.
“I have made errors that have cost the team but I have worked on them and will be looking to not repeat them again. We are gunning to improve the our performances and looking to win all four matches. It will be hard and none of the fixtures will be easy,” Shingade said.
