The Haryana Steelers were in exceptional form on Wednesday evening, as they stormed past the challenge of the defending champions, Puneri Paltan.
The Haryana Steelers, who continue to sit at the top of the points table, won by a score line of 38-28 at the Noida Indoor Stadium in PKL Season 11. For Haryana Steelers, Shivam Patare top scored with 13 points and Mohammadreza Shadloui added 5 of his own.
Haryana Steelers Win Big Against Puneri Paltan
The Haryana Steelers were out of the blocks very quickly, with the defenders and the attackers working in tandem, racing away to a 5-0 lead within the first few minutes. The Haryana Steelers were dominating the early exchanges, and then Jaideep landed an ALL OUT, giving his team an 8-point lead and the momentum.
Shivam Patare and Vinay were leading the charge in the attack for the Haryana Steelers, who continued to build on their lead. In the final ten minutes of the first half, the current table toppers, Haryana Steelers, continued to keep the defending champions, Puneri Paltan, at bay. Shivam Patare ended the first half with 8 points to his name, as the Haryana Steelers led 22-14.
The second half started off in similar fashion, with the Haryana Steelers dominating the contest. Vinay and Shivam Patare were helping extend the lead, even as the Puneri Paltan continued to fight on with Pankaj Mohite and Akash Shinde. Mohammadreza Shadloui was also picking up crucial points for the Haryana Steelers, who led by 9 points at the half-hour mark.
In the final phase of play, Shivam Patare notched up his Super 10 and moments later Pankaj Mohite did so too. But, the Haryana Steelers had almost everyone making significant contributions, whereas the Puneri Paltan defensive unit weren’t having the best day.
In the final five minutes, the game picked up pace as the Puneri Paltan raiders Pankaj Mohite and Akash Shinde tried to make one final push, but Jaideep and co held strong in defence for the Haryana Steelers. Eventually, the Haryana Steelers walked off the mat with a 10-point win. Interestingly, earlier in the season when the two sides had met, the Puneri Paltan had won by 10 points.