Haryana Steelers stuns Tamil Thalaivas 29-37 to claim the second spot on the league table

Haryana Steelers locked horns with the Tamil Thalaivas in a highly anticipated clash here on Tuesday at Bengaluru’s Sheraton Grand in ‘Match 102’ of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8. 

Both the teams have been trying their best to consolidate their place in the playoffs and the Haryana-based side gained a huge boost to their chances as they managed to defeat their opponents 29-37, dethroning Dabang Delhi and Bengaluru Bulls to position themselves on the second spot at the league table.

The Steelers came into this game with back-to-back wins in their previous games and built on the momentum as their raiders were able to get past the tough competition from the Thalaivas’ defenders who have been nothing short of brilliant this season. Skipper, Vikash Kandola had a decent outing tonight for his side as he scored eight points to his name. The star of the show though was none other than Ashish as the raider scored his first Super 10 of the season picking up sixteen points for his side.

The Steelers heavily relied on their offensive firepower as the raiders from both sides dominated the contest against their counterparts. The Haryana-based franchise had a total of nine tackle points in the game, with Jaideep leading the charge with two points to his name as he carved his way through into the list of Top 3 defenders this season.

On the other hand, the Thalaivas played opposite to their nature tonight, as they were dependent on their raiders to fetch the majority of their points, unlike their previous fixtures where the defense had been leading the charge from the early get-go. Manjeet and Ajinkya Pawar had a decent outing tonight as the duo racked up a total of eighteen points for their side. The raiders were supported by Surjeet Singh and Sagar as they earned seven tackle points to their name but were not able to get their team past the finish line.

Manjeet attempts to score a touchpoint on Ravi Kumar against the Haryana Steelers

Apart from these four players, none of the other members of the squad was able to leave a remarkable impression tonight, which was one of the key reasons for their defeat tonight. The Thalaivas will surely be disappointed with the result tonight as a win over the Steelers would have ensured their entry into the Top 6 standings at the league table. While the team still has five games left in their campaign, they will have to earn a minimum of three victories if they wish to remain in the race to the playoffs.

The Haryana-based franchise started the match off with a bang as Ajay Kumar opened up the scoreline for the day with a single-thigh hold on Manjeet to register the first point for his team. Skipper, Vikash picked off from right where he left off in the last game as he escaped a tackle attempt from Manjeet in a do-or-die raid to give his side the early advantage. The Steelers used the early man advantage in their favor as they inflicted the first all-out of the game upon the South Indian franchise within the first seven minutes of the game to establish an eight-point margin over their opponents leading 2-10.

The Thaliavas however bounced back strong as they dominated the remaining thirteen minutes of the first half to reduce the point from eight points to just three points at the end of the first half. Ajinkya and Sagar played crucial roles for their side as the two picked up points in rapid succession and did not allow the Steelers to capitalize on their lead. At the end of the first half, the Haryana-based franchise had a small three-point lead over their opponents as the scoreline settled at 13-15.

The South Indian franchise picked up from where they left off in the first half as they started to chip off from the lead established by the Steelers. However, their efforts were put in vain as Ashish scored a Super Raid in the 14th minute of the game to give his team a five-point lead over their opponents. Ajinkya delayed an all-out opportunity for the Haryana-based franchise as he scored a multipoint raid to facilitate a crucial revival in the form of Surjeet. The two then super tackled Vikash to put their team on the path to a fairy tale comeback.

The Steelers however were in no mood to bottle their lead as Ashish picked up consecutive touchpoints to put the Thalaivas on the verge of their second all-out. Surjeet tried to earn a revival for his side but was tackled for his efforts to end the struggle from the South Indian side as Haryana established a six-point lead over their opponents. The Steelers built on the momentum and kept their opponents in check to win the game 29-37.