After yet another thrilling comeback against UP Yoddhas in the vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season 9, Haryana Steelers will gear up for their next challenge against Patna Pirates, set to take place on Monday. The raiding combination of Meetu and Manjeet fought till the end against Yoddhas, as they managed to push the match to a tie, earning three points for their team in the contest.
In their last four games, the JSW Sports-owned franchise has picked up two wins and two draws. Hoping to continue the unbeaten streak in their next game, Steelers’ in-form all-rounder Nitin Rawal, who has been donning the captain’s armband for the past few games said, “We lost some matches at the start of the season by small margins, and now we are winning continuously or drawing matches. So, the morale of the team is high and our coach also always keeps us motivated as well.”
He added, “We have learned from our mistakes in the last few matches. Our coach focused on the problems and we have worked hard on the training to solve them. Now the results are coming through.”
Patna Pirates also have had their fair share of close encounters this season, but will be confident entering into the contest, having won their three previous matches. Nitin Rawal also insisted that the Steelers will be ready for whatever the opposition has in store for them.
“Patna Pirates are a really good team and we will play as per the situation of the match. Our focus will be on delivering a good performance against them,” Rawal said.
Sachin, the in-form raider has been the key player for the Pirates in their previous three games. However, Nitin Rawal stated that they are not focused on any particular player in the opposition camp.
“We don’t believe that any particular player could be dangerous for us. We play according to our coaches’ plans, and the strategies he puts in place. We’ve watched videos of the Pirates’ matches to analyse their weaknesses and our coach made plans to counter every player of their team.”
Nitin Rawal also praised Manjeet and Meetu, who have been in top form this season, and added that the duo will be key for the team in the encounter.
“Manjeet and Meetu played well even in the encounters where we didn’t get the results we wanted. We were just unlucky in those matches at the start of the season. They are both key players and if they keep playing well in the league then I am sure that we will keep winning,” he concluded.
Action between the Steelers and Pirates gets underway at 8.30 PM on Monday.
