Haryana Steelers ended their five-game winless streak with a comeback win against Patna Pirates in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 . The defending champions were trailing by seven points at one
stage, before eventually prevailing 39-32 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in Delhi on Monday. With that win, the Steelers moved to sixth place on the points table as they remain in the hunt for a top four spot.
Jaideep Dahiya led the way with a High Five, scoring six tackle points, while Shivam Patare also registered a Super 10. According to the captain, the game-defining moment belonged to Rahul Sethpal as he bagged a crucial raid point for his side to get them back on level terms in the second half. “He surprised everyone. He was mindful of the situation and got us a crucial point. That was the turning point in the game, and we made the most of it to win the game”, Jaideep reckoned.
The captain also emphasized on the importance of breaking their winless streak, stating, “We lost five games in a row. It’s easy to lose your confidence if you lose five games in a row, but the coach and management always supported us, kept motivating us. They made us believe and this win is a result of that. As a team, we want to make up for those five loses and win our next five games.”
We hope to build on this momentum: Manpreet Singh as PKL 12 Playoffs race heats up
Crediting his team’s all-round performance to secure the win, Haryana Steelers head coach Manpreet Singh shared, “Jaideep and Rahul played well today. The raiders – Vinay and Ghanshyam Magar – they also got us points at crucial stages. So when the entire team steps up and performances, you’re bound to do well.”
“In this match, I’m not going to single out one or two of players who did well. My entire team did well, and I’m delighted about that performance”, he added. Looking back at his team’s season so far, Manpreet reflected, “We did well in Jaipur, registering four wins before going to Chennai. We didn’t perform as well there, and that can happen.”
“There can be a lot of ups and downs in this league. We’ve come to Delhi and registered our first win against a good side. So, we hope to build on this momentum” he concluded.
(With Inputs from Press Release)
