By Admin 
In a final that went down to the wire, Dabang Delhi K.C. managed to edge past Puneri Paltan 31-28 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Friday to emerge champion in the 12th season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).
Second title
It is Dabang Delhi’s second title, having won the eighth edition in 2021-22 earlier.
Neeraj Narwal and Ajinkya Pawar played starring roles for Delhi, which enjoyed the support of a packed house.
While Narwal scored nine points, Pawar contributed six to Dabang’s victory.
For Paltan, raider Aditya Shinde was exemplary, but his 10 points weren’t sufficient to get his side over the line.
Puneri Paltan player and Dabang Delhi players in action during the 12th season of the Pro Kabaddi League Final match, at Thyagaraja Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.
| Photo Credit:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Dabang had the better of the exchanges in the first half as it went into the five-minute break with a 20-14 advantage.
Having edged in front at the start of the half, it maintained a comfortable lead all the way through.
Perfect streak
Neeraj enjoyed a perfect streak through his raids in the opening 20 minutes, setting the tone for Delhi.
The 25-year-old’s show made up for the fact that captain Ashu Malik, who seemed to be nursing an injury, wasn’t quite at his best.
In the second half, Paltan narrowed the margin by registering eight raid points compared to Delhi’s three.
As the final neared its conclusion, Delhi had to endure some nervous moments.
The final nail
But once Shinde, who hadn’t put a foot wrong for most of the evening, was successfully tackled by Iranian star Fazel Atrachali with less than 30 seconds left on the clock, Delhi’s celebrations began.