Haryana Steelers continued their fine form with a close 38-36 victory over Tamil Thalaivas at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday (September 20).
The win was sixth of the season and fourth in a row in the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League 2025 (PKL 2025) for Haryana Steelers. With six wins and two losses, the defending champions are currently at the third spot in the points table behind Puneri Paltan and Dabang Delhi K.C.
On the other hand, Tamil Thalaivas are at the eighth spot in the table with three wins and four losses. They have now lost three of their last five games and will be desperate to return to winning ways in a bid to improve their position in the competition.
PKL 2025: Haryana Steelers clinch nervy game
Thalaivas got off the mark quickly with their ever-reliable star Arjun Deshwal striking early. Their defenders Ronak and Himanshu looked in good form too as Haryana Steelers raiders struggled to make an impact in the early phase of the match.
With Arjun continuing his fine form, the Thalaivas inflicted an all out on the champions to put themselves in the driver’s seat. The Haryana-based outfit desperately needed some momentum and it was provided by Vinay’s successive raids. Jaideep also struck with timely tackles as the Steelers made the most of the errors from the Thalaivas.
After getting the momentum, the Steelers inflicted an all out of their own. Vinay and Shivam Patare made the difference in attack while Jaideep stood like a rock in defence. By the time the first half ended, the Steelers had a commanding 25-16 lead.
Raiders from both the sides fired on all cylinders from the word go after the restart. Deshwal looked in imperious form once again as he troubled the Steelers’ defenders. Himanshu then denied the Steelers crucial points in Do-Or-Die situations.
However, the Steelers did well to weather the storm and made sure to stay in a promising position in the match. Substitute Mayank Saini delivered an immediate impact with multi-point raids that restored Steelers’ advantage. He dismissed Ronak and Anuj Gawade in one raid, before dismissing Nitesh Kumar as well. Patare also contributed with timely raids to keep the Steelers on the front foot.
Fortunes kept swinging from one side to another with just a handful of minutes left in the match. In the end, the reigning champions secured a two-point win. The win also helped Haryana Steelers coach Manpreet Singh create history. With the victory over the Thalaivas, he became the first-ever coach in the history of PKL to register 100 wins.
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