Dabang Delhi will look to make their home advantage count when they play their next four games on four consecutive days at the Thyagraj Stadium in the Pro Kabaddi league second edition starting Saturday.
Standing in the sixth place before the start of Telugu Titans against Puneri Paltan in Hyderabad, Delhi bear a depleted look with the side missing three crucial players due to injuries or for lack of fitness.
On Saturday, Delhi — which finished sixth last season — take on Bengal Warriors in a round robin match. Standing neck-and-neck, Delhi and Bengal are separated by three points despite Bengal having played one game more.
led by Ravinder Pahal, Delhi have six matches to go and four of them are at home which gives them a distinct advantage to make a place in the semi-finals. The three wins have come against Puneri Paltan, Bengal Warriors and Jaipur Pink Panthers.
With 20 points up for grabs in these four matches, Delhi would look to capitalise and make the next stage. However, last year, Delhi lost three of its home matches which suggests playing at home isn’t as breezy as it looks on paper.
Pahal on Friday said the team has been banking itself on youngsters in the absence of three key players — Surjeet Narwal, Amit Chillar and Jay Bahadur Bohara.
He also remained positive about the team’s chances to qualify for the next stage. “We still have chances to make it for the play-offs, we just need to pull up our socks and play as a team,” said the captain sitting beside coach Honnappa C. Gowda.
“The team has been growing in confidence and could have pulled off the last two matches against U Mumba but nevertheless now that the crowd will be supporting us and it will definitely spur us to perform at our best.
“We have won 3 games so far and few very close ones which we have lost now we would be playing at home conditions and have full support of the fans which would definitely add to our advantage. In a way, you can say that we would be starting the tournament afresh and give our best to make our fans proud of the team.
“The team is very excited to play on the home turf. We put in a lot of effort in the off season and that’s showing now. Our performance has just been an incredible team effort, one which will hopefully see us reach the penultimate position in 3 week time,” he added.
The team would need star raiders Kashiling Adake and Rahal to go all out from the onset and get a good commanding lead in order to make it an easy passage later on. The team has been letting itself down in the final stages of matches.
Gowda stated the team had no plans of changing the captains about. “Ravinder is leading the team well and playing well too. The combination is working out perfectly. There is no plan to change captains again,” he said.