PKL 2025: Tamil Thalaivas register first home win in seven years

Dabang Delhi also reclaimed their spot at top of the table with a win over UP Yoddhas.

Arjun Deshwal (blue) scored 22 points in Tamil Thalaivas first home win since 2018 (Photo credit: PKL)

The Bridge Desk

Published: 4 Oct 2025 3:55 AM GMT

Tamil Thalaivas registered their first home win since the 2018 Pro Kabaddi League, completing a 45-33 win over defending champions Haryana Steelers on Friday.

Arjun Deshwal led the charge with an epic 22-point performance, while Nitesh Kumar also contributed with four tackles. Meanwhile, Jaideep Dahiya’s high five and Vishal Tate's super 10 went down in vain for Haryana Steelers.

It was an action-packed start to the game with the defending champions coming off the blocks quickly. Sahil Narwal got the first points on the board with a tackle on Arjun Deshwal and Vinay followed it up with a quick raid.

The Thalaivas came back with Rohit Beniwal scoring their first points, and Nitesh Kumar wasting no time to make his presence felt with a tackle on Vinay.

The two captains, Arjun Deshwal and Jaideep Dahiya, also got themselves on the scoresheet in the early exchanges, with not much to separate the two sides.

However, the Haryana Steelers captain soon registered two super tackles within the first ten minutes, giving his side a three-point lead with Shivam Patare also contributing.

With a successful do-or-die Raid, Arjun Deshwal kept his team within striking distance with contributions on the defensive end from Nitesh Kumar, Himanshu and Ronak.

Despite that, the Haryana Steelers managed to hold onto their advantage courtesy their captain leading the way with a High Five in the first half, clinging on to a two-point lead with the score at 15-13.

The hosts started the second half in rampant fashion, levelling the game at 15-15 before it soon turned into the Arjun Deshwal-show.

After only scoring three points in the first half, the raider scored nineteen points in the second. He helped his team register the first all out of the game, giving Tamil Thalaivas a three-point lead.

Tackles from Aashish and Nitesh Kumar further stretched that lead, and their captain made the most of that momentum to bag the first Super Raid of the game as well.

He soon completed his Super 10 in style, inflicting a second all out on the Haryana Steelers within ten minutes, taking a commanding ten-point lead in the process.

There was no stopping him as he kept racking up raids for fun, giving his team a 34-21 lead with under nine minutes to go. With the Chennai crowd backing him, he continued to pile on the misery with a third all out on the defending champions.

As a result, the Tamil Thalaivas outscored their opponents by 18-6 in the third quarter, taking complete control of the game. There was a bit of respite for the Haryana Steelers as Vishal Tate bagged a massive four-point raid.

That helped his team eventually register their first all out, closing the gap to 41-30 with under three minutes to go in the game.

Despite Vishal completing his super ten, his side couldn’t quite close the massive deficit as Arjun Deshwal amassed 21 points on the night, leading the way for his side in a memorable 45-33 victory.

Dabang Delhi climb to top of table

Dabang Delhi K.C. returned to the top of the table with a dominant display to record a 43-26 win against UP Yoddhas earlier in the day.

Ashu Malik led the way with a super ten, while Fazel Atrachali scored four tackle points, leading a comprehensive display for their side.

Gagan Gowda set the tone for the game with a multi-point raid to give his side an early two-point opening before Ashu Malik levelled things up for his side.

The former exchanged raids with Neeraj Narwal, keeping things close between the teams. With the two sides going toe-to-toe, Surjeet Singh registered the first tackle of the match on Bhavani Rajput.

However, UP Yoddhas opened up an 8-6 lead courtesy Shivam Chaudhary and Gagan Gowda, after the opening ten minutes.

Fazel Atrachali began the second quarter with a tackle on Bhavani Rajput, and Ashu Malik did what he does best, managing the first Super Raid of the game to give his side the lead. He followed that up with another multi-point raid, cleaning up the Yoddhas and inflicting an all out to give his side a 14-9 lead.

With the tempo slowing down slightly, the defenders began to take control of the game. Ashu Malik continued to lead the charge for Dabang Delhi with nine points in the first half, while Gagan Gowda was doing the same for Yoddhas with eight points to his name.

In an enthralling first half that saw the pendulum swing one way and then the other, Joginder Narwal’s side held a four-point lead with the score at 17-13.

Ashu Malik began the second half with a raid that helped him complete his eighth super ten of the season, extending Dabang Delhi’s lead.

With Ajinkya Pawar also chipping in, they ensured some daylight between themselves and their opponents. Fazel Atrachali further extended that lead to eight points, helping his team inflict a second all out.

Despite Gagan Gowda completing his super ten, UP Yoddhas were struggling to close the gap. Surjeet Singh and Ajinkya Pawar also contributed to Dabang Delhi’s cause, keeping them in the driver’s seat as they established a steady nine-point lead with ten minutes to go in the game.

Dabang Delhi K.C. continued to be relentless on both ends of the mat with their defence giving UP Yoddhas no breathing room.

With a 12-point lead, they continued to tighten the screws to impose a third all out and put the game beyond all doubt with a 15-point lead with under two minutes to play.

Fazel Atrachali narrowly missed out on his high five with four tackle points on the night, as his side wrapped up a supreme performance with a 16-point victory.

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