The Delhi crowd were treated to an action-packed four days as the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi Season 3's penultimate leg ended on Saturday. Patna Pirates and Puneri Paltan continued their winning runs, while U Mumba galloped to their home leg in style. Dabang Delhi ended the home leg with three losses and one draw, much to the dismay of the local fans, while Bengaluru Bulls were handed another loss.
The Thyagaraj Sports Complex saw some exemplary individual performances in a record-breaking leg. So without further ado, here's the best 7 from the Delhi leg:
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Rohit Kumar (Patna Pirates)
Possibly the best player on the planet right now, Rohit Kumar moved to the summit of the top scorers this season with a splendid performance against Dabang Delhi. In a record-breaking match, Rohit raced to 16 points in less than 30 minutes, after which he was given a well-deserved rest by the coach with the match virtually over.
Sandeep Narwal (Patna Pirates)
In the absence of Manpreet, Sandeep marshaled the defenders well as the Pirates put aside the home team mercilessly 67-34. The 22-year-old was a rock at the back with 8 tackle points, and he also tried his hand at raiding and won three points in his attacking forays. In this raider-friendly match, Sandeep showed his quality by giving a masterclass in defending.
Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans)
In the same fixture last season, Kashiling Adake wreaked havoc as the Telugu Titans were held to a 45-45 draw by Dabang Delhi. This season, however, Rahul Chaudhari stole the limelight by amassing 17 points in his team's 44-36 win. Although the Titans lost their second match in Delhi against Puneri Paltan, Rahul put up a strong fight again, and his team is now hot on the heels of 4th placed U Mumba.
C. Arun (Jaipur Pink Panthers)
Jaipur Pink Panthers managed to eke out a tie against Dabang Delhi on Day 3 of the leg, and that was largely down to the superb defending of C. Arun. The Pink Panthers may have crashed out of the tournament, but the 22-year-old Arun has given them something to be happy about.
Manjeet Chhillar (Puneri Paltan)
Puneri Paltan have put one foot in the semi-finals with their exploits at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, having reaching the second spot in the table. Their stellar performances were spearheaded by the captain Manjeet Chhillar, who scored a total of 19 points in two matches.
The 29-year-old helped the Paltan beat Telugu Titans for the first time in their history as he registered eight tackle points. His contributions have been absolutely vital as the Pune franchise look to make their debut in the semi-finals.
Anil Nimbolkar (Dabang Delhi)
One Dabang Delhi player who can hold his head up high after a disappointing home leg is Anil Nimbolkar. He showed the Eagles' think-tank why he needs to be given more opportunities by amassing 14 points against Bengal Warriors. In his first start for the Eagles, Anil ransacked the Warriors' defence and almost single-handedly won the match for the home side.
Nitin Tomar (Bengal Warriors)
Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Nitin Tomar returned to the team after being out for four matches due to injury, and he delivered straight away. The raider scored 13 points to silence the home crowd and help the Warriors move up to 3rd spot with a 37-31 win over Dabang Delhi. Tomar couldn’t have timed his return any better as the Warriors look to make a last-ditch attempt to reach the semifinals.
