Bengaluru: Haryana Steelers continued their winning start to vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 9 as they picked up a big victory in the first game of Tuesday evening, defeating Tamil Thalaivas 27-22 at the Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. For the Steelers, raider Manjeet starred once again, earning 8 points. All-rounder Nitin Rawal, too, continued his good form for Haryana Steelers, while Jaideep Dahiya showcased his strong defensive skills by registering a High 5.  

Manjeet began the match with a successful raid, opening the scoring for the Steelers straightaway. But a minute later, he was caught by right corner Sagar as Tamil Thalaivas took the lead. A defensive error from Monu led to Tamil Thalaivas extending their lead soon after, putting the Steelers on the backfoot. Manjeet then showcased his defensive skills in the 8th minute, as he tackled Ajinkya Panwar to close the gap to 4-5.

A few minutes later, Tamil Thalaivas’ Sahil Gulia went in for a swift tackle to get Manjeet out again. But Nitin Rawal remained on top of his defensive duties for the Steelers to ensure that his team stayed in the game. With a few minutes left on the clock in the first half, the Steelers inflicted an All-Out on the Thalaivas to take control and went into halftime leading by 15-9.

Trailing by 6 points at the start of second half, the Thalaiavas began earning quick points to close the gap. Narender earned a raid point, after which Sagar tackled K. Prapanjan as Tamil Thalaivas brought the scoreline down to 13-16. A minute later, Meetu executed a successful raid, and Jaideep caught Narender on a Do-or-Die raid, as the Steelers extended their lead once again to 6 points.

Despite the point deficit, Tamil Thalaivas continued to maintain their defensive strategy, allowing Haryana Steelers to take control of proceedings. At the halfway mark of the second half, Sagar went in for a thunderous Super Tackle on Manjeet to pin him down as the Thalaivas showed that they would continue to fight till the final whistle. 

Another Super Tackle by Visvanath V allowed the Thalaivas to close the gap again, but the Steelers, too, continued the good work in defence to maintain their lead. With a six-point lead in the final minutes of the game, the Steelers strategically ran down the clock and picked up their second win of the season.

Top Performers

Haryana Steelers: Best Raider – Manjeet (6 Raid Points); Best Defender – Jaideep Dahiya (5 Tackle Points)

Tamil Thalaivas: Best Raider – Narender (3 Raid Points); Best Defender – Sagar (5 Tackle Points)

PKL