Jaipur, Sep 15 (IANS) Haryana Steelers clinched a hard-fought 40-37 victory against the Gujarat Giants at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur in the first match on Monday.

Skipper Jaideep Dahiya led the way with a high five, with Shivam Patare recording nine raid points and three tackle points, while Vinay also scored eight raid points to round up a team effort from the Haryana Steelers. In total, Haryana Steelers registered five duper tackles in the game, which eventually proved to be the difference between the two sides.

For Gujarat Giants, Rakesh Sungroya registered a Super 10 with fourteen points, that went down in vain.

The match began aggressively, with raiders from both teams showing intent early on. Vinay and Rakesh Sungro exchanged blows before Shubham Kumar tackled Shivam Patare on a do-or-die raid, giving Gujarat Giants a two-point lead.

The attacking momentum continued as Rakesh scored five points in six minutes to extend the Giants’ advantage. Meanwhile, Vinay kept the Haryana Steelers in the contest, scoring their first four points.

The defending champions showed resilience through a Super Tackle by Sahil Narwal, narrowing the deficit to 7-6. Jaideep Dahiya and Shivam Patare followed up with super tackles of their own, putting the Steelers ahead. However, Lucky Sharma struck right back with a tackle for Gujarat Giants, ending an eventful first quarter at 11-8.

Himanshu Singh then joined the action for the Giants, supporting Rakesh Sungroya, who crossed the 500 raid points milestone in the PKL. The Jaivir Sharma-led side eventually levelled the scores at 14-14, with Lucky Sharma tackling Jaideep Dahiya to inflict an all out on the Steelers.

Despite the setback, Haryana responded quickly, regaining a three-point lead courtesy of Shivam Patare’s fine run. They extended their advantage to five points and registered an all out of their own, finishing the half strongly at 25-20.

Rakesh Sungroya efficiently completed his Super 10 in twelve raid attempts, while Nitin Panwar tackled Vinay to give Gujarat Giants the ideal start to the second half. Rakesh continued to build on that momentum, keeping his side within striking distance and cutting the deficit to three points.

Each time the Giants sniffed a comeback, the defending champions were quick to shut the door. Rahul Ahri bagged a Super Tackle, and Jaideep Dahiya followed up by completing his High Five, keeping Haryana Steelers ahead at 32-27.

Mohammadreza Shadloui then opened his account with a tackle on Shivam Patare in a do-or-die raid, keeping the Giants in the hunt with eight minutes left. Himanshu Singh’s tackle eventually brought the scores level at 33-33.

The Steelers, however, held their nerve in the closing stages. Rahul Sethpal, Shivam Patare, and Sahil Narwal combined on defence to restore a four-point lead with just two minutes remaining. The Giants refused to give in, as Shridhar Kadam struck with a multi-point raid to reduce the gap to two.

With the clock winding down, the Steelers relied on their experience to deny the Giants any late surge. Vinay applied the finishing touches, sealing victory as the PKL11 champions clinched a closely fought contest.

–IANS

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