In a thrilling Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 showdown at Jaipur’s SMS Indoor Stadium, the Haryana Steelers edged out the Tamil Thalaivas 38-36 on Saturday. The match delivered non-stop action, but it meant even more for Steelers head coach Manpreet Singh, who notched his 100th PKL win—a first for any coach in the league’s history.
Right from the start, the Thalaivas took charge. Star raider Arjun Deshwal wasted no time, scoring early points and leading his team to a quick All Out that left the Steelers scrambling. The Thalaivas’ defense, anchored by Ronak and Himanshu, shut down Haryana’s raids and built a solid lead through Arjun’s relentless attacks.
The Steelers fought back hard. Raider Vinay shook off a slow beginning and fired off back-to-back successful raids to close the gap. Defender Jaideep made key tackles, stopping threats from Thalaivas players like Moein Shafaghi and Rohit Beniwal. Haryana pounced on Tamil’s mistakes, and midway through the first half, they hit back with their own All Out. Vinay teamed up with Shivam Patare for game-changing raids, while Jaideep led a fierce defense. The score stayed close as both teams traded points rapidly.
By halftime, Arjun kept pressuring the Steelers, but Vinay’s strong raids helped Haryana grab a 25-16 lead and head into the break with momentum.
The second half kicked off with fireworks. Arjun Deshwal picked up where he left off, dodging defenders and even taking out Jaideep and Sahil Narwal in consecutive raids. Himanshu’s solid tackles in do-or-die moments blocked Haryana’s advances and kept the Thalaivas alive.
Haryana wouldn’t back down. Substitute raider Mayank Saini burst onto the scene with explosive multi-point raids, dismissing Ronak and Anuj Gawade in one go and later tackling Nitesh Kumar. Shivam Patare added smart raids to keep the pressure on Tamil Thalaivas.
The game turned into a nail-biter with defenses dominating—empty raids and failed do-or-dies piled up. The Steelers’ backline held firm, and Thalaivas’ Arulnanthababu pulled off a stunning Super Tackle to stay in the fight. With under five minutes left, the score sat tight.
In the clutch moments, the Steelers showed their championship grit under Manpreet Singh. Vinay broke free for a vital raid that swung the momentum, and Hardeep sealed it with a late tackle on Arjun, stopping a potential Thalaivas rally. Haryana’s disciplined defense fended off the final raids, clinching the 38-36 victory and etching Manpreet Singh’s milestone into PKL history.
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