First against the Bengal Warriors and then the Pink Panthers from Jaipur, we have taken on the hosts and triumphed. While the win against the former was expected, the one over defending champions in their own den was a giant killing effort; one that evoked much awe from all quarters. Now as we reach Patna for what is the 4^th leg of the PKL this year, the onus is on us to do a three-peat, for our opponents in the game are hosts Pirates.

A team led by India captain and one of the most illustrious players around-Rakesh Kumar, the Pirates have till this point struggled to make an impact and languish at the bottom of the table with just 7 points from 4 games. Delhi’s coach Honnappa C Gowda however played that down in a brief interaction with the media upon reaching here, “They haven’t started too well, but tends to happen, we didn’t win our first game either.

There is absolutely no way that we are going to take them lightly.”

Asked if the team has any special plans for Rakesh, he added, “Not really! We have prepared as a unit for the whole tourney and are pleased with the performances so far.

There hasn’t been an effort to target someone specifically and tomorrow should be no different.”

The Pirates, as we know lost to the all-conquering Telugu Titans yesterday. The chinks, if any in their armour were there for the Dabangs to evaluate and assess as they look to breach yet another fortress- this time the Patliputra Sports Complex.

Dabangs to watch out for today:

Ravinder Pahal: The soft spoken and calm headed Pahal is the pillar of the Dabang defense. Three straight Best Defender awards in this season’s PKL stands testimony to his abilities. Considered uni-dimensional till last year, he seems to have added the ankle hold to his repertoire, and needless to say Pahal is a menace and it’s highly likely that Rakesh Kumar and Co would find it increasingly difficult to get past him.

Amit Chillar:  Hailing from the cradle of Indian Kabaddi, Nizampur, Amit is a natural athlete. He has been supreme so far since his inclusion in the 2^nd game and will be looking to continue in a similar vein. 

Rohit Kumar Chowdhury: A jawan in the Indian Army, he has been bestowed with the responsibility of filling in Surjeet Narwal’s boots. Gelling in beautifully, he has almost made a spot in the starting 7 his own. Even in the match against the Jaipur Pink Panthers he exhibited exemplary vigour and enthusiasm and was aptly bestowed with the “Best attacker of the award.” Tonight again, he alongwith Kashiling Adake will be key to our fortunes.