Chennai, Oct 8 (IANS) Rishank Devadiga praised Fazel Atrachali’s performances and impressed with Dabang Delhi K.C’s thrilling performance against defending champions Haryana Steelers as they drew the game 33-33 in regular time before winning the contest 9-3 in the tie-breaker at the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League (PKL 12).

He also shared his thoughts on Tamil Thalaivas, who closed their home leg with a commanding 56-37 win against Patna Pirates.

In an exclusive interview on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga commented on Delhi’s tense victory, Atrachali’s milestone of 200 PKL matches, and Arjun Deshwal’s record-setting performance for the Thalaivas.

Speaking on JioHotstar, Rishank discussed Dabang Delhi K.C.’s exciting victory over the Haryana Steelers:

“This high-octane clash truly lived up to expectations. When two top teams face each other, you expect intensity, and that’s exactly what we saw. From the very beginning, both sides showed incredible hunger to win. Every single point was fought for. In the end, Delhi emerged victorious, and the highlight of the match was undoubtedly the tie-breaker raid by Fazel Atrachali.

“It was his 200th Pro Kabaddi League appearance, the most by any player in PKL history, and he marked it with a brilliant super raid. His confident approach and the celebration that followed summed up the moment perfectly. Fazel brings unmatched experience to this Delhi side, and every time he steps on the mat, he gives his absolute best.”

On Dabang Delhi K.C.’s Surjeet Narwal’s crucial contribution in the tie-breaker, Devadiga said that while the former didn’t score a single point during his time on the mat in regular time, he put forth his finest in the tie-breaker.

“Surjeet Narwal was on the mat for a long time and didn’t score a single point during regular time, but he carried a lot of responsibility on his shoulders going into the tie-breaker. In such situations, if a team manages to earn a tackle point in the first raid, it immediately creates an advantage, and Surjeet did exactly that.

“He stopped Vishal Tate, who is a complete raider, in the opening raid of the tie-breaker. That gave Dabang Delhi a massive early edge. That moment played a key role in shaping the result of the contest.”

Dabang Delhi K.C.’s Ajinkya Pawar has stepped up in skipper Ashu Malik’s absence, who got injured a few matches ago. Devadiga praised the players for filling the shoes in the best way they could and taking charge of the raiding department, as he said:

“When Dabang Delhi K.C. skipper Ashu Malik got injured three to four matches ago, players like Ajinkya Pawar and Neeraj Narwal took charge of the raiding department. The experience they gained during those matches clearly showed against the Haryana Steelers. When Ashu went out, Ajinkya stepped in and showcased excellent variations in his raids, earning eight raid points. His super raid against the Steelers was a standout moment for me.

“After that, he executed a brilliant running hand touch on Neeraj Kumar and continued attacking smartly. Ajinkya has a lot of variety in his raiding arsenal, and if this partnership between Neeraj Narwal and Ajinkya Pawar continues, Dabang Delhi can prove to be a very dangerous unit in the upcoming matches.”

Speaking of the second match of the day, Devadiga analysed Tamil Thalaivas’ captain Arjun Deshwal’s stellar performance against the Patna Pirates, saying:

“Arjun Deshwal knew how important this match against the Patna Pirates was for him and his team. Right from the start, he kept picking up points consistently. Even though the defence made a few errors early on, Arjun’s steady scoring lifted the team’s morale, and the Thalaivas started playing as a cohesive unit. Arjun attempted 28 raids and earned 26 raid points, the best performance of his career.

“Delivering such a performance in front of his team’s home crowd will surely boost his confidence further. With Arjun leading from the front and the defence also stepping up later in the match, the Thalaivas looked like a complete side.”

He also shared his thoughts on Patna Pirates’ overall, lacklustre, performance and added:

“In their last match against the UP Yoddhas, which Patna won, it felt like the team was bouncing back into form. But against the Tamil Thalaivas, there was clear disappointment. We can call it a big loss, as the Thalaivas completely dominated the three-time champions.

“Patna managed to secure only two tackle points throughout the match, and that’s an area they really need to improve on. The defensive unit must step up if the Pirates want to stand a chance of winning their remaining seven matches and stay in contention for the eighth spot.”

— IANS

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