Naveen Kumar helps Dabang Delhi beat Tamil Thalaivas 32-31 in Pro Kabaddi League

Naveen Kumar did the star turn as Dabang Delhi KC edged out Tamil Thalaivas 32-31 in a closely fought match of the Pro Kabaddi League here on Saturday. The star raider scored 13 points for Delhi as they overcame a stiff challenge mounted by the Tamil team in the dying minutes. The win will help Delhi increase their chances of a Top-2 finish in the league stages.

Thalaivas miscalculated the last raid and didn't attempt for a bonus which could have helped them clinch 2 points to level the match. The result means the team from Chennai are out of the current Top 6 and will need a flawless end to the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. Delhi started the match on the front foot with Naveen Kumar looking ominous.

He picked up easy points from the Tamil defence, while at the end, Manjeet did his best to keep Thalaivas within touching distance. The absence of Ajinkya Pawar hampered Thalaivas' usual double-headed attack. The pressure finally helped Dabang clinch an ALL OUT in the 13th minute and open an 8-point lead.

Despite the gap, Thalaivas were playing well, especially captain Surjeet Singh. Delhi's Neeraj Narwal also contributed to the raids as the first half ended with scores 17-10. Delhi controlled the match in the early minutes of the second half despite Thalaivas upping a gear.

Manjeet kept prodding the Delhi defence while Sagar also started picking form in the right corner. The momentum shifted to Thalaivas' side in the 10th minute when 3 Delhi defenders went out of bounds as Tamil raider Himanshu entered the lobby without a touch. Manjeet immediately added another point to make it a 3-point game and just one Delhi player on the mat.