Hyderabad, Nov 7
Haryana Steelers returned to winning ways with a massive 35-22 victory over the Gujarat Giants in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 at the GMCB Indoor Stadium here on Thursday. Vinay was their main player on the night with his nine raid points, but he was ably supported by his able teammates to help their side to a comfortable victory.
Guman Singh started well for the Gujarat Giants, but Vinay for the Haryana Steelers stole an early lead with an impressive Super Raid just one minute into the game. This move spurred his team into action, and soon, Naveen and Jaya Soorya joined the action for the Steelers.
Having gone ahead early in the match, the Haryana Steelers made life tough for the Gujarat Giants. Guman turned all-rounder for his side, keeping them in the game on a consistent basis, but did not receive enough support from his teammates.
At the same time, Vinay's imposing raids saw him score 8 touch points at the end of the first half, as the score read 18-13 at the halftime stage.
The script of the second half was the same as the first half, as the Haryana Steelers continued to build the pressure on their opponents. The match was played mostly on Do-Or-Die raids, as Balaji D won a point to get Jaya Soorya for Haryana Steelers, while Himanshu Singh was dismissed by Jaideep.
For every point that the Gujarat Giants scored, the Haryana Steelers had a response. Guman Singh carried his team throughout, but it was not enough as their side faced their first All Out of the match with two minutes remaining.
In the end, it was an all-round performance from the Haryana Steelers, led by their raider Vinay. His nine points, alongside Mohammadreza Shadloui's 6 points, ensured a comfortable victory over the Gujarat Giants.
Meanwhile, action will continue on Friday with two games on the schedule.
The first game of the day will see the Jaipur Pink Panthers take on the Patna Pirates, in what promises to be a titanic clash. The likes of Arjun Deshwal, Neeraj Narwal and Surjeet Singh will be keen to help the Jaipur Pink Panthers end their campaign in Hyderabad on a high.
In the other corner, the Patna Pirates have the young duo of Devank and Ayan calling the shots, scoring some big points, and they too will eye a winning end to their time in Hyderabad this season.
The second match of the day will feature the Dabang Delhi K.C. side taking on the Tamil Thalaivas. For the Dabang Delhi K.C., the game is a crucial one as they are looking to end a losing streak, while the Tamil Thalaivas have been in good form, with the talismanic Sachin leading the way.