The clash between Haryana Steelers and Tamil Thalaivas at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur turned into a pulsating contest, with the Steelers holding their nerve to eke out a 38-36 victory on Saturday.
Beyond the scoreline, the night carried special significance as Steelers' head coach Manpreet Singh became the first-ever PKL coach to register 100 wins - a historic milestone.
The opening minutes set the tone for an action-packed night. The Thalaivas drew first blood as Arjun Deshwal struck early, while Steelers' raiders found themselves contained by a disciplined defence led by Ronak and Himanshu. A swift ALL OUT inflicted by Arjun put the Thalaivas in control, with his aggressive raids repeatedly exposing defensive gaps.
The Steelers, however,
began to claw their way back. Vinay found his rhythm after a shaky start, scoring through successive raids to keep the Steelers in touch. Jaideep struck with timely tackles, neutralising the threat of Moein Shafaghi and Rohit Beniwal. The Steelers capitalised on errors from the Thalaivas.
Momentum shifted around the midway stage of the half when the Steelers responded with an All Out of their own. Vinay and Shivam Patare combined to produce decisive raids, while Jaideep marshalled the defensive line with aggression. The scoreboard tightened as both sides traded blows in quick succession.
By the closing minutes of the half, Arjun continued to trouble Haryana with his consistent point-scoring, but Vinay's raids ensured the Steelers went into the break still very much in contention. Ahead of halftime, the Steelers had the lead, with the score reading 25-16.
The second half exploded into action with both raiding units on fire. Deshwal carried on from where he left off, picking off defenders at will, and at one point dismissing Jaideep and Sahil Narwal in back-to-back raids. Himanshu's defensive resilience also denied Haryana crucial points in Do-Or-Die situations.
But the Steelers refused to be outdone. Substitute Mayank Saini made an immediate impact, pulling off multi-point raids that turned the tide. He dismissed Ronak and Anuj Gawade in one raid, before scalping Nitesh Kumar later, lifting the Steelers and giving their bench fresh energy. Shivam Patare complemented him with clever raids, keeping the Thalaivas in check.
The match then entered a tense, defensive phase where both sides exchanged empty raids and failed Do-Or-Die attempts. The defending champions' backline stood tall, while Arulnanthababu of the Thalaivas delivered a superb Super Tackle to keep his team in contention. With less than five minutes to go, the game hung finely in the balance.
In the final exchanges, Haryana showed the composure that has come to define Manpreet Singh's sides. Vinay, despite being contained earlier, delivered a crucial raid that tilted the momentum, while Hardeep's late tackle on Arjun ensured the Thalaivas couldn't complete a comeback. The Steelers saw off the last few raids with discipline, sealing a 38-36 win in what will go down as Manpreet Singh's small piece of PKL history.
