The Haryana Steelers cemented their position at the top of the table with a clinical 42-30 victory over Tamil Thalaivas, while defending champions Puneri Paltan pulled off a last second win against Gujarat Giants, edging them 34-33 in a nail biter on Friday night at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex, Great Noida.
Haryana Steelers’ all-round masterclass
Haryana Steelers put on a commanding display, outclassing Tamil Thalaivas from start to finish.
Shivam Patare and Vinay set the tone early with relentless raids that kept the Thalaivas defence on the back foot.
The Steelers’ defensive duo, Rahul Sethpal and Naveen were equally impressive neutralizing Tamil Thalaivas’ star raiders Sachin Tanwar and Moein Shafagi throughout the match.
The first half ended with the Steelers narrowly ahead at 13-10, thanks to Vinay’s crucial raid points and Rahul Sethpal’s tackling prowess.
Tamil Thalaivas leaned heavily on Nitesh Kumar whose three tackle points were the lone bright spot in a lackluster team performance.
The second half saw Haryana Steelers extend their dominance.
Shivam Patare reached a milestone of 200 Raid Points in PKL, while Vinay’s Super Raid saw him join the 100-point club for the season.
A crucial Do-Or-Die raid by Vinay and an ‘all out’ inflicted by Rahul Sethpal effectively sealed the game.
Despite Moein Shafagi’s Super 10, the Tamil Thalaivas could not recover.
The Steelers balanced attack and solid defense led them to a comfortable 12-point victory.
Vinay ended the match with nine points, supported by Rahul Sethpal’s High 5 and significant contributions from Naveen and Shivam Patare.
Puneri Paltan prevail
In the evening’s second match, Puneri Paltan showcased their resilience and championship mettle, securing a dramatic 34-33 win over Gujarat Giants.
Akash Shinde led the charge with 12 points, while Guman Singh’s stellar 16-point effort for the Giants kept the contest evenly poised until the final whistle.
The match began with Guman Singh’s explosive 4-point raid giving Gujarat Giants an early lead.
However, Puneri Paltan driven by Akash Shinde and Mohit Goyat, fought back to level the score at 16-16 by halftime.
The second half saw Puneri Paltan start strong with an ‘all out’ on Gujarat Giants. But the Giants, fueled by Parteek Dahiya and Guman Singh, mounted a comeback inflicting an ‘all out’ of their own to regain the lead.
As the clock wound down, the tension escalated.
Akash Shinde's Super 10 kept Puneri Paltan within striking distance.
With just two minutes remaining, Aryavardhan Navale’s critical points and a final defensive stand by Puneri Paltan turned the tide.
V Aijith’s leveling raid and the decisive tackle on Guman Singh in the dying seconds secured the one point victory.
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