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Dabang Delhi KC were knocked out of Pro Kabaddi 2022 after an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Bengaluru Bulls in Eliminator 1 on Tuesday, December 13.
Delhi entered the competition as the defending champions and started the season with five back-to-back wins. However, the Naveen Kumar-led outfit lost momentum as the tournament progressed.
Dabang Delhi KC lost six matches on the trot at one point, and it seemed like they would fail to qualify for the playoffs. They made a decent comeback in the second half of the tournament and sneaked into the top six by finishing with 63 points from 22 matches.
Fans had high hopes from the defending champions in their Eliminator 1 match against the Bengaluru Bulls. Unfortunately, the team's defense had its worst day ever on the kabaddi mat as it managed only four tackle points in 40 minutes.
The Bulls, who were on song from the start, squashed them by a resounding 56-24 margin and advanced to the semifinals.
Dabang Delhi KC will now look to put this season behind them and begin planning for the next season of the Pro Kabaddi League. They might let go of a majority of the star players from the defense following several insipid displays.
However, they also had a few bright spots this season and here is a list of three players Delhi should retain from their current squad.
#1 Dabang Delhi KC captain Naveen Kumar
Captain Naveen Kumar was the best raider for Dabang Delhi KC in Pro Kabaddi 2022. Nicknamed 'Naveen Express,' the youngster did not let the pressure of captaincy impact his personal performance as he scored 254 raid points in the tournament.
Naveen is one of only three raiders to have scored more than 250 raid points in Pro Kabaddi 2022. He led the Delhi raid attack from the front by registering 16 Super 10s. Even in the harrowing Eliminator 1 defeat against the Bengaluru Bulls, Naveen alone earned one-third of the points (eight out of 24) scored by his team.
It would be a big mistake to let him go, especially considering the way he led the team in his first season as a captain. Dabang Delhi KC should retain him for the 2023 season.
#2 Vijay Malik
All-rounder Vijay Malik missed the first few matches of the Pro Kabaddi League 2022 due to injury issues. However, once he was fit to play, he made a massive difference on the mat for Dabang Delhi KC.
Malik supported Naveen Kumar to perfection in the raiding unit, scoring 82 points in 11 matches. He did not show any signs of rust as he ended the season with four Super 10s to his name, while also executing two super tackles in the defense.
Given that there are very few all-rounders like Malik in the Pro Kabaddi League, Delhi should retain him for next season.
#3 Vishal Lather
Fans had their eyes on Sandeep Kumar Dhull, Amit Hooda and Krishan Dhull to do well in the Dabang Delhi KC defense this season. However, it was left cover defender Vishal Lather who scored the most tackle points for the team.
In 22 matches, Vishal earned 58 tackle points and is currently fifth on the defenders' leaderboard. It would be a no-brainer to retain him for next season given his consistent displays this year.
