Noida (Uttar Pradesh)[India], November 11 : Haryana Steelers started the 11th season of the Pro Kabaddi League on a strong note, racking up five wins in their first seven games in Hyderabad. After finishing as the runners-up in the previous season, all eyes were on the JSW Sports-owned franchise, especially with the side making a fair few changes to their squad at the auctions earlier this year.
Under the guidance of tactical genius head coach Manpreet Singh, the Steelers' have showcased impressive defensive and resilient spirits to fight through till the end in each game and have earned thrilling victories in closely contested encounters. Haryana reached the fourth position in the table by the end of the Hyderabad leg and then picked up a solid 39-23 win over Gujarat Giants to kick off the Noida leg on Sunday to climb to the third position with 26 points in 7 games.
Iranian allrounder Mohammadreza Shadloui has proven to be the star player with 18 raid points and 22 tackle points in 7 matches. In the raiding department, Shivam Patare proved to be the most successful, earning 31 raid points for his side.
Speaking on his side's performance so far, Coach Manpreet said, "Every team has few areas where improvements are needed. It is hard to explain where we can rectify our errors, but the entire season is dependent on fixing them and we are working towards it. The players are also dedicatedly improving and we feel now we are more in control. The team has performed really well in Hyderabad and we are in good form. We have figured out our winning combination of players and it will really help us in the ongoing Noida leg."
Meanwhile, skipper Jaideep Dahiya said that his side has showcased that they are prepared for the season. "We have a strong team and we have shown that we have prepared well. Our efforts now will be to win all the games and climb to the top position in the table. To maintain momentum, we all are motivating each other, and we do not let anyone feel the pressure. There are no junior and seniors in this team. We all respect each other and mingle well with each other, which allows us to keep ourselves in cool and calm headspace."
Haryana Steelers will next face off against U Mumba at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Monday.
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