Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 27 : The Haryana Steelers entered the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) semi-finals for the first time after defeating Gujarat Giants 42-25 in Eliminator 2 in Hyderabad on Monday. Meanwhile, Steelers head coach Manpreet Singh compared Jaideep with India cricket legend Virender Sehwag.
As quoted in a release by PKL, Manpreet Singh said, "I am really happy that we have made it to the Semi-Finals. Jaideep is the Virender Sehwag of our team. If Jaideep plays well then it becomes very easy for Haryana Steelers to win games. Our match against Jaipur is going to be a good contest. They are an experienced side. We are very motivated to win the Semi-Final."
Meanwhile, the Jaipur Pink Panthers also booked their place in the Semi-Finals after finishing second on the points table. When asked about the team's consistency since Season 9, Head Coach Sanjeev Baliyan said, "We have experienced and young players in our team. Sunil is a very experienced captain and that's why he knows how to guide the youngsters and run the team on the mat. We retained our core team from Season 9. The team has continued to put up good performances and therefore we are in the Semis."
On the other hand, the Patna Pirates booked their spot in the last four stage after a thrilling 37-35 victory over Dabang Delhi K.C. in Eliminator 1 on Monday. The Pirates will be up against Puneri Paltan in Semi-final 1.
When asked about their preparations for their match against Puneri Paltan, the Patna Pirates Head Coach Narender Kumar Redhu said, "We'll devise a robust plan for Puneri Paltan. They have good raiding and defence units. We played well against them at our home ground and we tied that game. We are hoping to play a good match in the Semis."
The Puneri Paltan confirmed their Semi-final spot after finishing at the top of the table in the league stage. Speaking about their Semi-final match, the Pune side's Head Coach BC Ramesh said, "There's a lot of pressure in Semi-final matches. Every team wants to win. We'll surely try to win the Semis and the Final. The Puneri Paltan have never won the Pro Kabaddi league and we are hoping to make history this season."
The Steelers will take on Jaipur Pink Panthers in Semi-Final 2 at the GMC Balayogi Sports Complex, Gachibowli on Wednesday.
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