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An exciting first half of VIVO Pro Kabaddi 2019 concluded at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in Delhi, on the completion of home team Dabang Delhi's home leg.
Dabang Delhi K.C. won a close encounter against Bengaluru Bulls (33-31) followed by a dominant victory over UP Yoddha (36-27). The hosts dominated U Mumba (40-24) and ended their home campaign on a high note as they hold on to win against Patna Pirates (38-35).
Naveen Kumar was phenomenal in his home leg with 55 raid points to his name from just four matches at an average of 13.75 raid points. His solo efforts in the raiding unit with the corner combination of Ravinder Pahal and Joginder Narwal worked wonders for the team. Ravinder and Joginder went on to score 33 tackle points combined from four matches.
Naveen also crossed the 300 raid point margin in just 33 matches, becoming the fastest player to do so as he smashed Maninder Singh's record of reaching the landmark in 35 matches while also breaking the record of most Super 10s, when he went on to notch up his 9th Super 10, against U Mumba.
Based on consistent performances and form of the teams thus far, let us take a look at three teams which could be backed to win the PKL title post the culmination of the Delhi leg.
#3 Bengaluru Bulls
Defending champions Bengaluru Bulls faced the hosts of Delhi leg, Dabang Delhi K.C. in the opening encounter of the sixth week. Pawan Sehrawat put in a brilliant show for Bulls as he performed single-handedly on the raiding front and picked up 17 raid points. Amit Sheoran and Mahender Singh scored four and three tackle points respectively. Despite some fighting spirit from the Bulls, Dabang Delhi clinced a thrilling 33-31 win in the end.
Next up, the Bulls faced the Jaipur Pink Panthers in what was a dominating performance on both the raiding and defending fronts. Rohit Kumar scored a Super-10 with 13 raid points to his name as he was supported by Pawan Sehrawat's eight raid points. Three out of four defenders for Bengaluru Bulls scored a High-5 each as Mahender Singh, Saurabh Nandal, and Mohit Sehrawat had a good game which saw Bengaluru defeat Jaipur 41-30 in a one-sided affair.
Bengaluru Bulls remain as one of the strongest sides in this season, courtesy of their young and consistent defense unit and a formidable raiding unit comprising of Rohit Kumar and Pawan Sehrawat. If they can keep the same momentum in future games, the Bulls could be favorites to win the PKL title.
#2 Haryana Steelers
Haryana Steelers faced the Bengal Warriors in what was an exciting encounter that brought out the best from both sides. Vikash Kandola scored a brilliant Super 10 under pressure to make sure that the Haryana Steelers stayed in contention to win this match.
Vinay went on to assist Vikash with nine raid points. Skipper Dharmaraj Cheralathan scored four tackle points to lead from the front while Vikas Kale and Ravi Kumar notched up three tackle points together as Haryana went on to win this match 36-33.
Haryana Steelers faced Gujarat Fortune Giants in their next match of Delhi leg. Prashanth Kumar Rai and Vikash Kandola scored 8 and 7 raid points each in the offense. Vinay put up an all-round show with 5 raid points and 2 tackle points to his name.
The cover defenders had a brilliant outing as Ravi Kumar picked up his first High 5 of the season while Vikas Kale scored 3 tackle points as well. Haryana went on to win this one-sided clash by a massive 41-25 margin.
Vikash Kandola has led their raiding unit with a number of consistent performances and his return to the side has added strength to the squad. The Steelers have emerged as a competitive side with back to back victories and if they manage to hold on to their form, they could be the team to beat this season.
#1 Dabang Delhi K.C.
Dabang Delhi K.C. is the only team of VIVO Pro Kabaddi 2019 thus far to have a dominant outing at home with four wins in four matches. The team defeated Bengaluru Bulls 33-31, UP Yoddha 36-27, U Mumba 40-27 and Patna Pirates 38-35 to remain unbeaten in their home leg.
Naveen Goyat scored four Super 10s from his home leg, including a jaw-dropping 16 point versus UP Yoddha. On the defensive front, Ravinder Pahal scored 21 tackle points in four matches for the side at an average of 5.25 tackle points per game.
He picked up two High 5s, including an 8-point effort against U Mumba that helped his side register a massive win. Pahal received decent support from his skipper Joginder Narwal, who scored 12 tackle points from the leg.
Dabang Delhi have consolidated the top spot on the points table with only a single loss from 11 matches up until the end of their home leg. With 49 points from 11 matches, Delhi are only a few more wins away from registering a spot in the playoffs.
