Star of the Day: Meraj Sheykh

The second day of VIVO Pro Kabaddi saw Dabang Delhi K.C. winning their encounter against Season 1 champions Jaipur Pink Panthers, and defending champions Patna Pirates getting the better of Telugu Titans in Hyderabad on Saturday. Both matches witnessed a number of star players showing their class with much aplomb. With a massive 15 points, including a Super 10, Patna’s Pardeep Narwal put on an extraordinary show against the home side which was backed by a vociferous crowd. But our pick for ‘Star of the Day’ goes to another captain – Dabang Delhi’s Meraj Sheykh. The Iranian all-rounder led from the front and ensured his team’s morale never dropped through the intense match.

With the team trailing by a fair margin at the halfway mark, the focus was on Sheykh to bring his team back into the game and he did it with sheer finesse. The Delhi side turned the match on its head, on the back of Sheykh’s perfect raids and Nilesh Shinde’s rock solid tackles. Sheykh ended the match with 7 points in total and also initiated both of Jaipur Pink Panthers’ All-Outs in the second half. The 30-26 win was only the second time Delhi has defeated the Abhishek Bachchan-owned team, and it could easily be attributed to Sheykh’s inspired performance and leadership.

A captain’s task is not only to win the match or take crucial decisions on the mat but is also to ensure that team spirit never dies even in the most difficult moments. And in this department, Meraj Sheykh certainly passed with flying colours.