New Delhi, Oct 24 (UNI) Dabang Delhi K.C. skipper Ashu Malik feels that the ongoing Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is the most well-contested and aggressive edition so far.
Talking to UNI on the sidelines of the pre-playoffs press conference today, Malik said, “As you have seen, there have been several very close matches this season, so many matches going to the wire. When things become so tense, things heat up, it becomes very aggressive out there, so I will say this has been a very closely contested and aggressive season.”
PKL Season 12 started on August 29 with the Vizag leg, 47 of the 108 league matches were decided by five points or less, while the winners of 27 matches were decided in the last 90 seconds.
The playoffs will start here at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Saturday.
Dabang Delhi K.C. are tied with Puneri Paltan at 26 points at the top of the points table.
Ashu, who was the highest raider in Season 10 and the second highest raider of Season 11, expressed satisfaction at his team’s performance. “We have played well throughout and even those matches that we lost, they were very close matches, one we lost in a tie breaker, another one we lost by just one point, so we have been consistent.”
Looking forward to the playoffs, he stressed the importance of remaining calm under tense situations.
“In the Playoffs, every raid and tackle can change the game. I’ve realised that staying calm is my biggest strength- aggression can cost you focus. When the pressure rises, I just remind myself to play with a fresh mind and trust our preparation. We’ve fought hard all season, and we’re ready to give our best when it matters most,” he said.
On the embarrassing 26-61 loss to Patna Pirates on Wednesday, he said that there is nothing to worry
“We had already qualified, hence we wanted to test the second rung of our players, so it is not something that would play on our mind.”
He praised Head Coach Joginder Narwal, who had himself captained the Delhi franchise to a title win in Season 8
“He has been a very big player; he was the captain who won the title in season 8, so he knows what it takes to win. He has face every possible situation as a player himself, so his insights are invaluable,” said Malik.
He said the players did not take much time to adjust to the new format of five tie-breaker raids followed by a golden raid.
“This rule of five tie breaker raids has been there in the nationals since at least two decades so we were familiar with the format and I think it is a very exciting format both for players as well as the viewers,” he added.
