Jaipur, Sep 25 (IANS) Dabang Delhi K.C. came up with a commanding performance to register a massive 47-26 win against U Mumba in a Season 12 match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday. With 21 points separating the two sides, this was the second-highest margin of victory for a team this season.

It was also a historic night for Ashu Malik as he led the way with 23 points, marking his best-ever performance in the PKL. Neeraj Narwal chipped in with seven points, while Fazel Atrachali had four tackle points. For U Mumba, Sandeep Kumar recorded a Super 10, which served as consolation in the end.

It was a positive start to the game for U Mumba with Sandeep Kumar doing the heavy lifting for the season two champions. For Dabang Delhi K.C., Ashu Malik opened the scoring, but it was Neeraj Narwal who was making his presence felt in the early exchanges.

Sandeep Kumar made his mark with five points in the opening quarter, while a two-point raid from Neeraj Narwal helped his side stay in the game despite Dabang Delhi trailing 7-9 after the first ten minutes. Dabang Delhi soon levelled things up at 12-12, with Ashu Malik finding his groove in this cagey contest.

A Super Tackle from Sunil Kumar helped U Mumba regain their two-point lead as the first half drew to a close. However, Ashu Malik returned to ensure his side ended the half on a high, courtesy of a multi-point raid that inflicted an ALL OUT on his opponents at the stroke of half-time. He also completed his Super 10 in the process, giving Dabang Delhi K.C. a slender 19-17 lead at halftime.

With a couple of tackles, Fazel Atrachali and Surjeet Singh set the tone for Dabang Delhi K.C. in the second half, while Ashu Malik continued to do what he does best to help them extend their lead to five points. He further piled on the misery with a Super Raid to enforce another All Out on U Mumba to make it a double-digit lead.

Dabang Delhi K.C. executed a third All Out in quick succession, taking a massive 18-point lead at 37-19 with ten minutes to go in the game. Their dominance and aggression were reflected in the third quarter, when they scored eighteen points compared to U Mumba’s miserly two points. In the process, Ashu Malik also amassed 100 raid points for the season.

Meanwhile, there was no respite for U Mumba. Sandeep Kumar was the only shining light for them as he completed his Super 10 in the game. In the end, the night belonged to Ashu Malik, who capped his stellar outing with a Super Raid to record the best raiding performance of the season, finishing with 23 points in the match. Riding on his brilliance, Dabang Delhi K.C. sealed a commanding 47-26 victory to move to the top of the table.

–IANS

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