In the end, Dabang Delhi’s complacency resulted in a championship defeat! Dabang Delhi confident and favorites going into the match, goof it up during the Finals. So far 6 seasons finals have belonged to the teams with the most prolific raiders. With Maninder Singh out with a severe shoulder injury, Naveen Kumar and Dabang Delhi would have fancied their chances in the finals.

So far 6 seasons finals have belonged to the teams with the most prolific raiders. With Maninder Singh out with a severe shoulder injury, Naveen Kumar and Dabang Delhi would have fancied their chances in the finals.

Delhi off to fantastic start against Bengal Warriors

10 minutes and just 15 raids into the match, Bengal crash into an all-out. Delhi coasts to a 11–3 lead. Dabang Delhi look confident and all set to become champions.

The thin line between confidence and over confidence can make a world of difference to the outcome!

However in the next 3 raids after the All-Out, Chandran Ranjith, Ravinder Pahal and Naveen Kumar find themselves on the bench. With the 3 keys to Delhi’s win sitting on the bench, Nabibaksh steps on the pedal. In the next 3 raids, all by Iranian captain Nabibaksh — Bengal take out 3 Dabang Delhi defenders.

The Most Important Raid of PKL7

Then, we witness the most important raid of the tournament — if Nabib fails, Delhi scores 2 points on a super-tackle and Naveen will be back on mat. However, if he succeeds it is a Dabang Delhi all-out and scores almost level going into half-time. Nabib does the impossible for Warriors. He takes out 2 defense powerhorses - Anil Kumar and Ravinder Pahal out —in a show of a sheer strength and will-power.

In a master-stroke, coach BC Ramesh changes gears from force and willpower to patient and steady!

The insipid Delhi defense starts mis-firing, and Warriors capitalise by inflicting another all-out in the next 15 raids. In a master-stroke, coach BC Ramesh changes gears from force and willpower to patient and steady! Bengal slows the game by playing on Do-or-Die raids, all 30 second long raids, most raids by Sukesh Hegde.

Delhi on the other hand, tries to speed up the game with Naveen getting quick bonus points. A mistake in hindsight! What Delhi desperately needed was touch-points and to inflict an all-out on Warriors. However, all they got was 7 bonus points and a few points on left-corner Rinku Narwal.

Naveen looked exasperated and Joginder tired, with no one to rely on — not even himself. Delhi defense and over-confidence have handed the Mani-less Bengal Warriors the championship.

Dabang Delhi didn’t have any one to depend on while Naveen Kumar struggled to score touch points. Bengal on the other hand was patient, only once giving 2 touch points to Naveen in a raid. Naveen looked exasperated and Joginder tired, with no one to rely on — not even himself. Delhi defense and over-confidence have handed the Mani-less Bengal Warriors the championship.