Tamil Thalaivas produced an all-round performance to comprehensively beat Haryana Steelers 45-26 in match 45 of Pro Kabaddi Season 8 at The Sheraton Grand, Whitefield in Bengaluru. The win helped Tamil Thalaivas extend their unbeaten streak to six this season.
Manjeet clinched a super 10 for the Thalaivas who also saw their prized defensive duo of Surjeet Singh (8 tackle points) and Sagar (7 tackle points) getting High 5s. Haryana coach Rakesh Kumar will have a lot to ponder with the entire team failing to turn against a fully-charged Thalaivas.
The first half was a high-scoring affair with Tamil Thalaivas dominating the early minutes. Captain Surjeet Singh and Sagar were in no mood to let the Haryana raiders settle as they dished out tackle after tackle to get their team an all-out in the fifth minute. The defence set the tempo for the Thalaivas while Manjeet, back again in the line-up after missing Thalaivas’ previous encounter alongside K. Prapanjan picked up the raid points.
The team from Chennai got their second all-out with eight minutes to halftime and opened a 14-point lead. But kabaddi is a game of momentum and Vikash Kandola quickly turned it around for the Steelers. He found errors in an over-enthusiastic Tamil defence and helped Haryana claw their way back into the contest.
Haryana got their first all-out with two minutes left for half-time and reduced the Thalaivas’ lead to just five points. However, Tamil Thalaivas' Sagar scored his High 5 before the teams switched sides with the scoreboard reading 24-18.
The second half was a repeat of the first with Thalaivas continuing their good form. Sagar made the right corner a no-entry zone for Haryana raiders, while their own raiders continued to impress. The team got their third all-out as early as the third minute after the restart as Haryana looked down and out.
It only got worse for the Steelers who conceded another all-out with five minutes remaining as Surjeet Singh claimed his High 5 and Manjeet got his Super 10. The 18-point lead going into the final five minutes proved too much for the Haryana Steelers as Tamil Thalaivas clinched an easy win.
Featured photo: Pro Kabaddi
