'Told Naveen I don't care about the result': Krishan Hooda on how Dabang Delhi pulled off thrilling win over UP Yoddha

Defending champions Dabang Delhi started their 2022 Pro Kabaddi campaign with a bang, beating UP Yoddhas 44-42 in a thriller of an encounter in Bengaluru. Delhi fought back from being 19-25 down at half-time to pull off the win and their captain Naveen Kumar and Manjeet played an integral role.

Naveen led from the front, scoring 13 points and finishing as the team's highest scorer while Manjeet had 12 to his name. After the match, coach Krishan Hooda revealed that he had looked to take away any pressure that the scorecard may have on the team. "I told Naveen that I don't care about the result at half-time," said Hooda.

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"This is a league match. So, I told him to show his best game and work hard. I knew that we would win the game. The fans' immense support also helped us during our game. Naveen is with us so obviously the fans will be on our side," he said.

The key behind Delhi's successful run so far has been their star campaigner Naveen, who has once again left the fans mesmerised with his raiding skills during the match. A highlight of the match was Naveen evading a tackle with a stunning leap over a defender.

The incident took place during the second half of the fixture, when Delhi were trailing 30-34 in the contest. The defender, who dived right into Naveen to get a grip on his knees, failed to even get his fingers on the raider. The move saw Naveen somersault past him and return to Delhi's half with no hassle.