Dabang Delhi K.C. defeated the Bengal Warriorz 33-30 on Thursday at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad to record their third victory of the season. Even though Nitin Dhankar scored 15 points for the Bengal Warriorz, they prevailed thanks to Vinay and Ashish’s contributions and Ashu Malik’s seventh Super 10 in eight games.

Bengal Warriorz started the game on the front foot as Mighty Mani and Fazel Atrachali hit the ground running with a bonus point and a tackle point, respectively. The start seemed to be a statement from the Season 7 champions, but they didn’t make the most of having Ashu Malik being off the mat. With a solid effort on the defensive end from Dabang Delhi K.C, they kept themselves in the game in the opening exchanges.

It was Ashish who helped them level things up with a two-point raid. After the defensive units for both sides kept dictating the tempo of the game, it was a couple of errors from Bengal Warriorz that gave Dabang Delhi K.C. the lead. They carried on with that momentum in the closing stages of the first half, inflicting an ALL OUT to take a six-point lead. Ashu Malik had the better of his opposite number a couple of times too, ensuring that his team lead 19-13 at the end of the first half.

Nitin Dhankar picked up his Super 10 early in the second half, almost singlehandedly keeping the Bengal Warriorz in the contest.

Dabang Delhi K.C. continued their forays in the second half, with Ashu and then Vinay entering the party for their side. Nitin was the main aggressor for the Bengal Warriorz, but the support was lacking from his teammates. At this point, the skipper stepped up and completed his High 5 to keep his team in the game.

Nitin Dhankar was able to reduce the deficit to four points towards the end of the game, having already closed the gap to fifteen points. Nevertheless, Ashu Malik was in total command, finishing a Super 10 of his own and making sure his team ended their four-game losing streak with a thrilling victory.