PKL 11: UP Yoddhas brush aside table-toppers Haryana Steelers, take one step into top-six spot

Pune, Dec 17 (IANS): The UP Yoddhas secured another important win to keep their playoff hopes alive as they beat Haryana Steelers 31-24 in Season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Badminton Hall in the Balewadi Sports Complex here on Tuesday. Bhavani Rajput was the man-of-the-hour with his 11 points as the team coached by Jasveer Singh moved to third on the points table, staying unbeaten in their seventh straight match.

The Haryana Steelers started in a very impressive manner after Vinay was successful in a Do-Or-Die raid to get Sumit and Mahender Singh. But the UP Yoddhas entered the fray after Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi tackled Shivam Patare and then Bhavani Rajput got Sanjay while Mohammadreza Shadloui stepped out of the end line, as the UP Yoddhas equalled the score.

A tackle on Vinay meant that the Haryana Steelers were left with just Jaideep Dahiya and Rahul Sethpal on the mat. But they won a very impressive Super Tackle to send Bhavani Rajput off the mat and kept the pressure on their opponents.

The first half was a closely contested affair, with both teams displaying exceptional skill and strategy. The game-changing moment came when Bhavani Rajput executed a spectacular Super Raid, escaping multiple tackles and ultimately leading to an All Out that levelled the scores.

Vishal Tate and Shivam Patare made significant contributions to the Haryana Steelers, while Bharat Hooda and young Sahil tried to keep UP Yoddhas in the contest. At the half-time break, UP Yoddhas held a slim 15-13 lead, setting the stage for an electrifying second half.

A shift in momentum saw that UP Yoddhas nullified the threat of the table toppers. In the third quarter of the clash, the Haryana Steelers were restricted to just three points in comparison to the 11 points scored by the UP Yoddhas. This was courtesy of another All Out by Bhavani Rajput, who got N. Manikandan and Rahul to dismantle the Haryana Steelers.

Bhavani then brought up his Super 10 in style after getting Mohammadreza Shadloui and Rahul Sethpal off the mat. It was enough to give their team an unassailable lead, as they took one step closer to a place in the playoffs. For the Haryana Steelers, their semifinal aspirations had to take a back step as they suffered a second-straight defeat, this time by seven points.