New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) Haryana Steelers confirmed their spot in the playoffs with a commanding 50-32 victory against Gujarat Giants in a Season 12 match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi. With that result, the Jaipur Pink Panthers have also qualified for the playoffs.

It was a dominant display from the defending champions, with Shivam Patare and Vinay registering Super 10s. The former also amassed 400 raid points in the PKL with his 16 raid points on the night. For Gujarat Giants, Himanshu Singh impressed with a Super 10, which went in vain.

Haryana Steelers began the game with authority, with Vinay opening the scoring and Jaideep executing a tackle. Gujarat Giants held firm, though, as Himanshu Singh did some damage with Nitin Panwar also registering a tackle. Rakesh Sungroya got himself on the board as well, and a tackle from Lucky Sharma helped the Giants put the pressure back on their opponents with an All Out.

The defending champions were quick to reduce the four-point deficit courtesy of Shivam Patare pulling his weight on both ends of the mat. As a result, the two teams were tied at 10-10 after the first quarter of the game. They made the most of that momentum with Hardeep and Shivam Patare fulfilling their responsibilities on both ends of the mat.

A tackle from Rahul helped them register their first All Out, opening up a four-point lead. Gujarat Giants kept themselves within striking distance with Mohammadreza Shadloui delivering a couple of tackles. However, it was Manpreet Singh’s team that held a rather comfortable 21-15 lead at halftime.

In a sedate start to the second half, Sahil Narwal and Lucky Sharma exchanged tackles as the tempo slowed down. Shivam Patare and Ankit Dahiya also executed their respective Do-Or-Die Raids before the former completed his Super 10 to extend his side’s lead to ten points.

Ankit Dahiya’s Super Raid helped Gujarat Giants bring it down to a seven-point game with ten minutes to go, still keeping them in the hunt in this contest. However, the knockout blow came from Neeraj’s tackle, inflicting another All Out on the Giants. Vinay then put the result beyond all doubt with his four-point Super Raid, giving the Steelers a 39-26 lead.

The raider also completed his Super 10, as did Himanshu Singh, as he kept fighting till the end for the Giants. He momentarily brought it back down to a ten-point game with the score at 40-30, but the Haryana Steelers were still firmly in control. They closed out the game convincingly in the end, completing a commanding 50-32 win to confirm their place in the playoffs.

–IANS

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