PKL 9: Manjeet, Jaideep star as Haryana Steelers register second win

Bengaluru, Oct 11 (IANS) Haryana Steelers continued their winning run in vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 as they picked up a big win, defeating Tamil Thalaivas 27-22 at the Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday.

For the Steelers, raider Manjeet Dahiya starred once again, earning 8 points. All-rounder Nitin Rawal, too, continued his good run for Haryana Steelers, while Jaideep showcased his strong defensive work, earning a SUPER 5.

Manjeet began the match with a successful raid, opening the scoring for Steelers straightaway. But a minute later, he was caught by right corner Sagar as Tamil Thalaivas took the lead. A defensive error from Monu Hooda led to Tamil Thalaivas extending their lead, putting the Steelers on the backfoot.

Manjeet showcased his defensive skills in the 8th minute, as he tackled Ajinkya Panwar to close down the gap to 4-5.

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 Steelers to ensure that his team stays in the game. With few minutes left on the clock in the first half, Steelers inflicted an ALL OUT on Thalaivas to take control and went into halftime leading by 15-9.

Trailing by 5 points at the start of second half, Thalaiavas started earning quick points to close down the gap. Narender earned a raid point, after which Sagar tackled down K Prapanjan as Tamil Thalaivas brought the scoreline to 13-16. A minute later, Meetu earned a SUPER RAID, and Jaideep caught Narender on a Do-or-Die raid, as Steelers extended their lead once again 6 points.

Despite the point deficit, Tamil Thalaivas continued to maintain defensive strategy, allowing Haryana Steelers to take control of the 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 showcased that they will continue to fight till the final whistle.

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