We have entered the most exciting phase of the Pro Kabaddi season with the semi-finals only a few hours away as League table-toppers Dabang Delhi take on the defending champions Bengaluru Bulls. At SportsKPI, we believe in looking at the world of sports through the numbers’ glasses. In this article, SportsKPI dives into the numbers of the journey of these two teams so far in PKL7.

Team Preview:

Let’s begin with a simple head-to-head comparison of wins and losses. Dabang Delhi were leading at half-time in 16 out of their 22 matches and went on to win 13 of them. Bengaluru Bulls were behind/tied-up at half-time in 12 out of their 23 matches so far and have converted 4 of them into victories.

Let’s take a deeper dive and break the numbers down into 5-min intervals. Delhi, as expected, has a fairly consistent success rate between 40%-50%. Bulls pick their moments and accelerate and decelerate according to the situation of the match. There is a surge in their raiding success in the final 5 minutes of the match. This is where they take the game away from their opponents.

Turning our focus now on the performance of both the teams when they faced a particular number of defenders on the mat. While Bulls take the lead here when they face 5, 6 and 7 defenders, Delhi have the upper hand when their opponents are reduced down to 4 defenders.

Dabang Delhi hold the upper hand in terms of raiding prowess, while both teams are tied as far in the defensive department. Dabang Delhi have been in lesser Do-or-Die situations than Bulls and display a better performance while both raiding and defending in these situations.

Key Players:

Raiders: Naveen Kumar vs. Pawan Sehrawat

Known for their quick and lethal movements on the mat, these two defenders have a varied skill-set using both their hand and legs. Naveen’s top skills include Hand Touch and Toe Touch, while Pawan’s include Running Hand Touch and Kicks (Side and Back). This makes them the 2 best raiders in the entire PKL7 Season.

Defenders: Joginder Narwal vs. Mahender Singh

Leading their respective teams in defense, these two players will hold the key to stopping their opponent key raiders. Joginder leads the Delhi defense line and has Ankle Hold and Body Hold as his top skills. Mahender minds the covers in the Bulls defensive set-up and will look to stop Naveen in his tracks with his Thigh Holds and Blocks.

SKPI Prediction:

This match will be won by the team who manages to derail their opponents’ raiding. If Delhi manages to keep Pawan on the bench, they will have one foot in the final. If Bulls continue the defensive errors from their eliminator match against UP against Naveen and Co., they are bound to be punished tonight.