Pro Kabaddi 2019: Predicting the starting 7 for Dabang Delhi K.C.

VIVO Pro Kabaddi 2019 is set to start on 20th July 2019 as the twelve teams in the fray will look to put their best foot forward in their quest for the ultimate title. The opening match of PKL 7 will witness the hosts Telugu Titans taking on U Mumba in the former's home leg at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad.

One of the biggest highlights from PKL 6 was Dabang Delhi's qualification into the playoffs for the first time in the history of PKL, under the captain Joginder Narwal. He formed a partnership with Ravinder Pahal in the corner defense and led the team fabulously well.

Naveen Goyat and Chandran Ranjit was in top form in the raiding department for the team as they scored a combined 325 raid points last season. The duo received decent support from Meraj Sheykh in the offense unit as Dabang Delhi were one of the most consistent sides of season 6 and will look to put up yet another impressive show in PKL 7.

Dabang Delhi K.C. are set to play their opening match against the Tamil Thalaivas on 25th July 2019 as their home leg will commence from 24th August 2019 and culminate on 30th August 2019 in Delhi.

Here is a look at the possible starting seven for Dabang Delhi as part of Pro Kabaddi 2019.

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Right Corner: Ravinder Pahal

Ravinder Pahal is the second-best defender in Pro Kabaddi history.

Known as 'The Hawk', Ravinder Pahal has been one of the most lethal right corners in Pro Kabaddi League history. He has represented Dabang Delhi K.C. in four seasons, Puneri Paltan in season 4, Bengaluru Bulls in season 5, with a wealth of experience on his side.

In season 6, Ravinder Pahal had an outstanding homecoming with Dabang Delhi as he scored 59 tackle points in 22 matches at an average of 2.54 tackle points. However, one of his best shows was in season 2 when he was declared as the 'best defender' of the edition with 60 tackle points in just 14 matches.

Pahal is a thigh hold specialist who he blocks the opposition raider's path and flattens him out on the mat. He rarely uses the wrist holds but can also execute the diving ankle holds from the right corner position.

Overall, Pahal has 263 tackle points from 89 matches at an average of 2.96 tackle points per game. He will yet again be the focus for Dabang Delhi as their wall of defense.

Right In: Chandran Ranjit

The team management bought Chandran Ranjit at ₹70 lakhs with the FBM card.

Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Chandran Ranjit is a fast-paced raider, who was a part of the Telugu Titans in the first two editions of the league but couldn't get enough chances to show his prove his mettle.

He made an impressive start after joining the Gujarat Fortune Giants in season 5 where he played as a vital support raider to Sachin Tanwar in the offense. He scored 51 raid points in 11 matches and earned a status as a raider to watch out for.

He joined Dabang Delhi K.C. last season and made some impressive contributions. Ranjit scored 153 raid points in 22 matches at an average of 6.36 raid points. He formed a raiding duo with Naveen Goyat that led the team to the playoffs.

Ranjit banks on his pace to escape from the mightiest of defense units. His shuffle across the court is fast that makes it easy for him to score using running hand touches. Chandran Ranjit will yet again lead the raiding unit of Dabang Delhi with his exciting moves which are a feast to the eyes.

Right Cover: Vishal Mane

Vishal Mane has played 105 matches in Pro Kabaddi which is the most by any player till today.

Vishal Mane has been a veteran of the Pro Kabaddi League, having featured in the league since the inaugural season. He has appeared in four finals, in seasons 1,2,3, and 5. Vishal has represented U Mumba, Bengal Warriors and Patna Pirates in the previous editions of the league.

Vishal Mane has one of the strongest dashes by any right cover defender where he pushes the raider off the court with sheer strength. He uses his upper body to initiate the blocks which provide timely support to the corner defenders.

Overall, Vishal Mane has 170 tackle points in 105 matches with 8 High 5s to his name. Last season with Dabang Delhi, Vishal performed consistently by providing support to Joginder Narwal in the left corner and aided the defensive unit with his acres of experience.

With Vishal Mane re-signed by Dabang Delhi for PKL 7, his experience will yet again be key which could see the Delhi-based franchise go far in this tournament.

Center: Naveen Goyat

Naveen Goyat plays from the Services' board in the nationals.

Naveen Goyat was the find of the season for Dabang Delhi in his debut season with the team in season 6. He became the first player born in the 21st century to play in the Pro Kabaddi league and second-youngest player to score a Super 10 in the tournament.

He quickly gained prominence as the lead raider for Dabang Delhi when the team's main pick Meraj Sheykh was struggling to provide raid points in the league matches. He executed running hand touches with precision and also made a mark with easy points from the Do or Die raids.

Naveen Goyat scored 172 raid points in 22 matches at an average of 7.81 raid points last season. With eight Super 10s to his name at a raiding strike rate of 56.02%, he finished as the eighth-best raider of season 6.

With the youngster proving his worth under pressure and performing consistently, it was a no-brained that Naveen was retained by the franchise for PKL 7.

Left Cover: Anil Kumar

Anil Kumar could become a consistent left cover for Delhi.

Anil Kumar had a decent season for the Telugu Titans back in season 6. This left cover defender made quite an impression by executing some breath-taking tackles on big match raiders in the competition.

Prior to joining the Titans, Anil Kumar was a part of the Tamil Thalaivas in season 5. He played five matches for the team but couldn't perform well. He moved to the Telugu Titans where he aided right corner defender Abozar Mighani and provided decent support to skipper Vishal Bhardwaj.

Anil Kumar scored 29 tackle points from 18 matches at an average of 1.39 tackle points per game. He scored four Super Tackle points at a tackle strike rate of 48.33%. Anil is an expert in executing dives and thigh holds from the right cover position.

Dabang Delhi K.C. will have high expectations from him as he will look to improve his numbers in the upcoming tournament.

Left In: Meraj Sheykh

Meraj Sheykh could become a considerable pick for the do or die raids.

Iranian Meraj Sheykh has been a part of Pro Kabaddi League for many seasons now. He has emerged as one of the best foreigners to play the game and has gone on to represent the Telugu Titans before settling in at the Dabang Delhi KC squad for the last two seasons.

Meraj Sheykh has emerged as one of the most consistent all-rounders with his ability to perform in crucial stages of the game. He led Dabang Delhi in the fourth and fifth season as the captain of the side, with some top performances on a personal front.

Having started his Pro Kabaddi career as a left corner, Meraj Sheykh changed his style to manifest into a raiding all-rounder, with his jumps his USP. He also specializes in using the scorpion kick as well as running kicks to score points.

Overall, Meraj has 309 raid points from 82 matches with five Super 10s to his name. He also has 53 tackle points playing from the left side of the defense. Meraj will provide support to Ranjit and Naveen in the offensive attack for Dabang Delhi and will be a vital part of the team for season 7.

Left Corner: Joginder Narwal

Joginder Narwal will yet again lead Dabang Delhi as their captain of Season 7.

An ankle hold specialist from Haryana, Joginder Narwal is an experienced veteran of the game, having played for so many franchises in the past. He has represented Bengaluru Bulls (Season 2), Puneri Paltan (Season 4), and U Mumba (Season 5) in the former editions of the league.

He was named the captain of Dabang Delhi for season 6 and led from the front, becoming the first ever skipper to lead Delhi into the playoffs in the history of the league. With a solid defensive unit in place, he backed the young raiders to bring about a majority of the points.

Joginder formed a great partnership with Ravinder Pahal to establish themselves as the team's defensive pillars. These two executed their moves with perfection and consistently backed each other that went a long way in guiding Delhi's path into the playoffs.

In season 6, Joginder scored 51 tackle points from 22 matches at an average of 2.13 tackle points per game. With the core squad from season 6 back in place for PKL 7, Joginder will be backed to lead the side to title glory.