Date & Time: Friday, 17th October 2025 | 8:30 PM IST
Venue: Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium, Delhi
Tamil Thalaivas (8th) host already-qualified Dabang Delhi (2nd) in a high-stakes encounter. With playoff hopes on the line for Thalaivas, the spotlight falls on two of PKL 12’s best raiders: Arjun Deshwal and Ashu Malik.
Probable Starting 7
Tamil Thalaivas
- Right Corner: Sagar Rathee
- Right In: Arjun Deshwal (C)
- Right Cover: Ronak
- Centre: Narender
- Left Cover: Aashish
- Left In: Yogesh Yadav
- Left Corner: Nitesh Kumar
Dabang Delhi
- Right Corner: Saurabh Nandal
- Right In: Ajinkya Pawar
- Right Cover: Surjeet Singh
- Centre: Naveen
- Left Cover: Sandeep
- Left In: Neeraj Narwal
- Left Corner: Fazel Atrachali (C)
Key Headlines
- Dabang Delhi secured playoff qualification; Thalaivas have lost 3 straight, now 8th
- Arjun Deshwal back to form with a Super 10
- Nitesh Kumar & Sagar Rathee continue strong corner partnership
- Ajinkya Pawar impressed with a Super 10 in Ashu Malik’s absence
- Saurabh Nandal now leads Delhi in tackle points
Top Stories
Arjun Deshwal – Raid Machine
- 178 raid points in 16 matches (11.1 avg, 56% SR)
- 9 Super 10s, third-most raid points in PKL history
- Excellent against Dabang Delhi: 11 matches, 101 points (61% SR)
Ashu Malik – Agent of Consistency
- 146 raid points in 12 matches (12.2 avg, 62% SR), 8 Super 10s
- Perfect 100% success in Do-or-Die raids (21 points)
- Strong support from Ajinkya Pawar (56 points) & Neeraj Narwal (71 points)
Team Insights
- Thalaivas’ defense led by Nitesh Kumar: 60 tackle points, 57% SR
- Delhi’s defense consistent: Saurabh Nandal overtakes Fazel Atrachali with 45 tackle points
Head-to-Head
- Overall: 12 matches – Thalaivas 2, Delhi 8, Tied 2
- Recent 3 matches: Delhi won all
Expect: A tactical battle with Thalaivas fighting for playoff survival against Delhi’s balanced excellence. Key battles: Arjun vs Ashu, Nitesh vs Delhi’s corners.