Delhi: Day 25 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 served up another dramatic double-header as Dabang Delhi K.C., fired by Ashu Malik’s 23-point masterclass, overpowered U Mumba 46-25, while UP Yoddhas edged out Bengaluru Bulls 6-5 in a tense tiebreaker after both teams finished 36-all. Speaking exclusively on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga broke down Ashu Malik’s relentless raiding display, Fazel Atrachali’s defensive resurgence under pressure, and the persistent problems in U Mumba’s backline.
Speaking on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga analysed the match-up between Dabang Delhi K.C. and U Mumba:
“In the beginning, it felt like the game was even. The way U Mumba’s raiders kept picking up bonus points, there wasn’t much difference even after the all-out; Delhi were only ahead by two or three points. But in the second half, Ashu Malik completely changed the game. He kept going in for raids, scored multi-raid points, and even pulled off a super raid. From there, he put all the pressure on U Mumba’s defence and took the match into his hands.”
On Ashu Malik’s performance:
“Despite an injury, Ashu Malik is performing at such a high level. If he were fully fit, imagine what more he could have done! Ashu truly dominated the match against U Mumba. The Delhi defense looked completely unsettled in the beginning, but once Ashu started scoring points, they also began to perform. Full credit goes to Ashu for giving the team the lead and boosting the morale of the defense, after which Fazel Atrachali also stepped up and did a great job.”
On Fazel Atrachali’s performance:
“Experience always counts, and Fazel has been playing at the top level for so many years. His fitness is remarkable, and he knows exactly when to bounce back. At the start, he looked under pressure, but he backed himself and delivered. He made one, then another tackle, and ended with four successful tackles in the match. That was an excellent performance from him.”
On U Mumba’s performance:
“The biggest issue for U Mumba was their defense. If you don’t stop a player like Ashu Malik, he will take the entire match away from you. Ashu scored 23 raid points, while U Mumba’s total score was only around 25–26. That shows his dominance. Had they been able to stop him, it could have been an even contest. But the way their defense performed was disappointing, they will really need to work hard on that area.”
On UP Yoddhas’ captain Sumit Sangwan’s performance against Bengaluru Bulls:
“Sumit played a crucial role. Whenever he performs well, UP tends to win, and once again, he delivered. Towards the end, during the tie-breaker raid, he showed great presence of mind. He first picked up a bonus point and then surrendered himself, ensuring that even if Bengaluru’s last raid succeeded, UP would still win by one point. That decision-making was brilliant, and the captain deserves full credit for it.”
