Vikas Kandola during raid against Bengal Warriors
Highlight
- Bengal took an all out lead in the opening round.
- Meetoo inspired a comeback for the Steelers with Super 10.
- Maninder Singh scored 14 points for Warriors.
Haryana Steelers defeated defending champions Bengal Warriors 41-37 in Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 at the Sheraton Grand in Whitefield on Friday.
Bengal took the lead with an all-out in the early stages but youth sensation Mithu made a comeback for the Steelers with a Super 10. Maninder Singh scored 14 points for the Warriors, but the lack of a quality support raider proved costly. In-Form Haryana Defence.
Whoever thought the match was going to be about the top raiders was in for a harsh surprise. The opening minutes saw both teams trading for blows. The defensive pair of Jaideep and Surendra Nada were in red-hot form for Haryana, while Sachin Vittala and Abozar Mighani dominated the corners for Bengal.
Maninder Singh faced twice successfully in his first two attempts and his partner Mohammad Nabibakhsh also had no success.
But the Warriors inspired mistakes in the Haryana defense after the initial blitzkrieg to show why they are the defending champions. Maninder was not someone who took ego-batting tackles lightly, and he inspired a strong performance to clinch the first all-out of the game with seven minutes to spare.
The six-point lead, however, did not last long though Vikas Kandola and Meitu ensured that Haryana Steelers ended the first half on a positive note. The score at interval was 18-15 for Bengal, but with one player on the mat, the Warriors were looking for an all-out.
Haryana were all out in the very first move of the half to level the score. Young Meitu hit several running kicks to put Warriors down early on the mat as Haryana dominated the opening minutes. Mohammad Nabibakhsh ensured that the Warriors delayed another all-out with two solid tackles, but the Steelers eventually clinched it with seven minutes to spare.
Bengal badly missed out on a quality secondary raider, while Haryana’s Vikas Kandola offered the needed support for Meitu. Maninder Singh secured his Super 10 with five minutes of play as Bengal Steelers chased down, but Warriors struggled to stop Vikas Kandola in the final minutes as Haryana secured a crucial 4-point victory.
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