In a thrilling start to the Pro Kabaddi League season 11, the Haryana Steelers edged out the Gujarat Giants 40-37 in a nail-biting match at Jaipur’s SMS Indoor Stadium. Captain Jaideep Dahiya starred with a high five, powering his team to victory in this high-energy PKL clash.
Shivam Patare shone brightly for the Steelers, grabbing nine raid points and three tackles, while Vinay chipped in with eight raid points. The team’s five super tackles turned the tide, proving crucial in this close PKL match. On the other side, Gujarat’s Rakesh Sungroya fought hard with a super 10, scoring 14 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the defending champions.
The game kicked off with fire from both sides. Raiders like Vinay and Rakesh traded points early, but Gujarat’s Shubham Kumar tackled Shivam Patare on a do-or-die raid, giving the Giants a quick 2-0 lead. Rakesh kept the pressure on, racking up five points in just six minutes to push the score to 7-4.
Haryana didn’t back down. Vinay scored their first four points to stay in the hunt, and Sahil Narwal’s super tackle brought it to 7-6. Jaideep and Shivam followed with their own super tackles, flipping the lead to the Steelers. Gujarat’s Lucky Sharma hit back with a key tackle, ending the first quarter at 11-8.
Things heated up in the second quarter as Himanshu Singh backed Rakesh, who hit the 500-raid-point milestone in PKL history. Gujarat leveled it at 14-14 with an all-out after Lucky tackled Jaideep. But Haryana bounced back fast—Shivam Patare’s strong raids gave them a three-point edge, then five, leading to their own all-out. They dominated the half, heading into the break at 25-20.
Gujarat came out swinging in the second half. Rakesh wrapped up his super 10 in 12 raids, and Nitin Panwar’s tackle on Vinay sparked a comeback. Rakesh narrowed it to three points, keeping the Giants alive in this PKL thriller.
Every time Gujarat closed in, Haryana’s defense slammed the door. Rahul Ahri’s super tackle and Jaideep’s high five pushed the lead to 32-27. Mohammadreza Shadloui’s tackle on Shivam kept Gujarat in it, and Himanshu’s effort tied the score at 33-33 with eight minutes left.
In the tense final stretch, Haryana’s Rahul Sethpal, Shivam Patare, and Sahil Narwal locked down defense for a four-point lead. Gujarat’s Shridhar Kadam raided for multi-points to cut it to two, but the Steelers stayed cool. Vinay sealed the win with key raids, handing the PKL11 champions a hard-earned victory over a gritty Gujarat side. What a way to kick off the season!
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