PKL Season 11: Fight back helps Dabang Delhi beat Telugu Titans, Pawan Sehrawat
Hyderabad: Led by Naveen Kumar, Dabang Delhi K.C. returned to winning ways when they defeated the Telugu Titans 41-37 at the GMCB Indoor Stadium, in Gachibowli, here on Saturday. Naveen scored 15 points while Ashu Malik added another 15 to the Dabang Delhi cause. For the Telugu Titans, Pawan Sehrawat waged a strong battle with 18 points while Ashish Narwal, with 9 points, also stood out. But in the end, their efforts fell short and Dabang Delhi scored a narrow win.
Dabang Delhi K.C. were out of the blocks very quickly with Naveen Kumar and Ashu Malik picking up some early points. For the Telugu Titans, who were being cheered on by a big home crowd, it was Ashish Narwal and Pawan Sehrawat with the early points. But it was the Dabang Delhi K.C. who led the contest after the initial exchanges.
With the game reaching the 10-minute mark, Pawan Sehrawat landed a couple of Super Raids which helped the Telugu Titans storm into the lead. The Telugu Titans at this point had a slender 1-point lead, and the whole stadium cheering them on. As the half wore on, the Telugu Titans cranked up the style a couple of notches, and the high-flyer Pawan Sehrawat was leading the charge.
Telugu Titans caused an All Out against the Dabang Delhi K.C. just before the break, to give the Telugu Titans a 20-15 lead at the half-time break. Pawan, who was looking very dangerous, had completed his Super 10 in the first half as well.
The second half saw Dabang Delhi K.C. mount a comeback right from the start and within the first few minutes they brought the scores back on level terms. Early in the second half, Ashu Malik also reached the 10-point mark for Dabang Delhi K.C., while the Naveen Express was also shifting gears. The Telugu Titans’ lead was wiped out within the first phase of the second half, as the Dabang Delhi K.C. side wrestled the momentum away from them.
Naveen also completed his Super 10 before the half-hour mark and Dabang Delhi went into the final 10 minutes of the game with a 6-point lead. From then on in, the Dabang Delhi decided to consolidate their lead and defended well to keep the Telugu Titans at bay. In the final minutes, Dabang Delhi K.C. inflicted an All Out on the Telugu Titans, which all but killed off any hopes of a comeback for the home team. Eventually, the Dabang Delhi side walked off winners in what was a very well-contested game.
On Sunday, Jaipur Pink Panthers will take on Tamil Thalaivas while UP Yoddhas meet Gujarat Giants in the second match of the night.