Dabang Delhi

Kabaddi is a game that is integral to our culture and country. Moreover, it is played in almost every household, especially in rural areas. Some teams in the Pro Kabaddi League are the reason for the popularisation of the game across the nation. One of those teams is Dabang Delhi, the current reigning champion of PKL, based in New Delhi, India and led by Naveen Kumar.

Dabang Delhi failed to make a mark and do justice to their names until Season 06 when it ranked 3rd on the league standings. Since then, it has gradually improved its gameplay and is currently the reigning champion of PKL. With PKL 2022, Season IX, starting from October 07 this year, let's look at the team details and further related information.

 

Dabang Delhi History

Dabang Delhi franchise is based in the country's capital city, with star raider Naveen Kumar as the team’s captain. Krishan Kumar Hooda is their coach under the ownership of Radha Kapoor. Dabang Delhi managed to reach their first playoffs in the 2018-19 season after a pretty bad run in the rest of the earlier seasons.

The Dabang Delhi team finished at the 6th position in the first two seasons, while it finished at 8th, 7th, 6th positions in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons respectively. In the 6th season, there was a new face in the Dabang Delhi team as well in the PKL in general. Naveen Kumar is the  youngster in the Dabang Delhi, who created history by becoming the first 2000s born player in the Pro Kabaddi League.

Dabang Delhi K.C. Owners

The eldest daughter of Rana Kapoor is the owner of the Dabang Delhi team. As far as the business is considered, Radha Kapoor has got her instincts from his father, who is none other than the Yes Bank CEO and MD. Kapoor founded the DoIT Sports Management Pvt. Limited, which owns the Dabang Delhi franchise.

However, Dabang Delhi isn't her only involvement in sports as she also owns the Mumbai franchise in the HIL and has been a presenter in the Indian T20 Premier League too. When asked about her choice in kabaddi, she made it clear that the game has the right TRP and popularity but was lacking in augmentation and ways of making the game way more alluring. With the Dabang Delhi and with the help of Dabang Delhi players like Naveen Kumar, she and her company aim to do the same. 

Dabang Delhi Stats

Dabang Delhi didn't have the start everyone expected in the Pro Kabaddi League. The team's poor performance led to ranking at the bottom of the barrel until Season 5. However, the team has progressed to the qualifiers and eliminators in the last few seasons. Delhi has ranked 3rd, 2nd, and 1st in seasons 06, 07 and 08, respectively.

On the other hand, If you consider the bigger picture, Delhi Dabang players have only 47 wins, an overwhelming 73 losses and 14 draws out of the 144 matches in 8 seasons in the history of PKL. It will be interesting to see how Naveen Kumar will lead the team and if his captaincy can lead to the team maintaining their champion gameplay and title in Season IX.

Dabang Delhi PKL 2022 Match Schedule

Dabang Delhi is likely to start its Pro Kabaddi League on October 07 with their match against U Mumba followed by Gujarat Giants and UP Yoddhas on 10th and 12th, respectively. Their last league match is against the Jaipur Pink Panthers on November 04, 2022.

The Dabang Delhi players need to be in a proper format as the schedule is a hectic one with lots of matches and fewer gaps. Below is the list of their match schedule for season IX of the league.

Dabang Delhi Players

Over the years, there have been several additions and changes in the team. However, the latest change in the team’s squad is the purchase of Sandeep Dhul, the former defender of Jaipur Pink Panthers, and other new young players. The List of Dabang Delhi Players for 2022 are:

Best Players of Dabang Delhi

Since Season 06, Delhi Dabangs’ performance has improved exponentially. One of the main reasons is the stellar performance of their players, who have managed to overcome insurmountable odds. That said, let’s look at the stats of some of the best players of Dabang Delhi, the current reigning champions of the Pro Kabaddi League:

Naveen Kumar (Raider)

The 22-year-old Captain is one of the best raiders in the Delhi’s squad and has scored 690 points till date in 60 matches, averaging 10.97 raids per match. Capable of winning the match single handedly for Delhi, it will be interesting to see how does the “Naveen Express” fare in the upcoming season.

Ravi Kumar (Defender - Right Cover)

The right cover defender for Dabang Delhi has scored 192 tackle points, nine High 5s and 22 super tackles in 22 matches. His performance will play a vital role in securing points during the tackle.

Sandeep Dhul (Defender - Left Corner)

Sandeep Dhul has previously played for Jaipur Pink Panthers and is currently playing as left corner defender for Dabang Delhi. He is one of the most important defenders for a team. With 260 tackle points, 19 super tackles and 17 high 5s, he has the ability of turning the tide of a match at any point.

Amit Hooda (Defender - Right Corner)

Amit Hooda is a right corner defender, who has scored 250 points in 90 matches. He has scored 12 high 5s and 18 super tackles till date and can be considered as one of the vital defenders for PKL’s reigning champions.

Vijay (All-Rounder)

The all-rounder for Dabang Delhi has played some major role for his team, especially as the raider. With 292 raids and 69 tackles in 85 matches, Vijay can prove an asset to the team if utilised correctly.

Dabang Delhi Strengths and Weaknesses

Dabang Delhi has retained its star raider Naveen Kumar and Vijay Malik, the all-rounder who performed exceptionally well in the last season. However, the team purchased a lot of young players during the auction, proving Coach Krishna Kumar Hooda’s belief in the young brigade and its capability to win their second season title.

That being said, let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of Dabang Delhi to better understand their standing in the upcoming season.

Strength of Dabang Delhi Team

This season, fans will expect a lot from their star raider Naveen Kumar, better known as the “ Naveen Express” and the previous defender for Jaipur Pink Panthers, Sandeep Dhul. It won’t be wrong to say that both these players will be collectively shouldering the responsibility of serving as a major motivation for good performance to the young brigade in the team.

Weakness of Dabang Delhi Team

On the contrary, the same young brigade can be a weakness for the team. The team can collapse under immense pressure since it lacks experience. Moreover, it will be interesting to see if Vijay Malik and other players can successfully help and guide Naveen and the rest of the team, respectively, especially with the missing big-time players.

Dabang Delhi Records

Till date, Dabang Delhi has created multiple records in the history of PKL. The biggest victory margin for Dabang Delhi is against Puneri Paltan at 23 in the first season itself. Therefore, let’s take a look at the list of the records Delhi during their journey of PKL since 2014:

• Dabang Delhi stands at third place in the rankings for scoring 2275 successful raids and 2825 raid points. It also ranks at third position for having the third highest successful raid percent, 36.07%.
• It stands at the fifth position for having an average of 15.17 in team successful raids per match and for 166 team all-outs inflicted.

Talking about the last season,

• Dabang Delhi ranks at the second position for most team successful raids with 414 points.
• The team has the third-highest average of team successful raids per match (17.25), team successful raid percent (42.37) and team raid points (505).
• It ranks at the fourth position for scoring 977 team raids, 705 team total points, 21.04 team average raid points and for conceding 801 total team points.
• It holds fifth position after it conceded 28 team all-outs.

Dabang Delhi FAQ’s