The Haryana Steelers, owned by the JSW Group, went about the auction in a cunning way, not over-spending while at the same time picking up proven players at the right prices. First up, they got the ankle-hold specialist Surender Nada as their Priority Pick.
The defender is someone that every opposition raider will have to be wary of. Nada, who turned out for the Bengaluru Bulls last season, has been a revelation in the left corner. and even helped India win the gold medal at the World Cup.
The team also picked up Mohit Chillar for Rs 46.50 lakhs this time around – the same guy who had commanded the highest bid last year when the Bengaluru Bulls bought him for Rs 53 lakhs. To complement their defence, the also brought in raider Wazir Singh, the former Puneri Paltan skipper – whom they picked up for Rs 44 lakhs.
Other big pickups for the new franchise were Khomsan Thongkham, who was one of the costliest foreign players to be picked on the first day for Rs 20.4 lakhs. Deepak Kumar Dahiya, who hails from Haryana, was then picked up on the second day of the auction for only Rs 12 lakhs. Raider Prashant Kumar, who came for only Rs 21 lakhs, could be a real steal for the new team.
Among the other acquisitions, Rakesh Singh Kumar, the young talented defender and raider Vikash Khandola were interesting buys costing Rs 11 lakhs and Rs 15.2 lakhs respectively. Overall, the team looks pretty balanced. The defence, especially, looks to be really strong and the team has a decent chance of making it to the semi-finals if the big stars deliver.
Key transfers:
#1 Surender Nada
#2 Mohit Chhillar
#3 Wazir Singh
Here is the full squad of Team Haryana:
| Sl. No. | Player Name | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Surender Nada | Defender |
| 2. | Deepak Kumar Dahiya | Raider |
| 3. | Khomsan Thongkham | Raider |
| 4. | Prashant Kumar Rai | Raider |
| 5. | Sonu Narwal | Raider |
| 6. | Surjeet Singh | Raider |
| 7. | Wazir Singh | Raider |
| 8. | Mahendra Singh Dhaka | Defender |
| 9. | Mohit Chhillar | Defender |
| 10. | Neeraj Kumar | Defender |
| 11. | Vikas | Defender |
| 12. | David Shilisia J Mosambayi | All-rounder |
| 13. | Deepak Kumar Rathee | All-rounder |
| 14. | Mayur Shivtarka | All-rounder |
| 15. | Rakesh Singh Kumar | Defender |
| 16. | Jeeva Gopal | Defender |
| 17. | Vikash Khandola | Defender |
| 18. | Ashish Chhokar | Raider |
| 19. | Parmod Narwal | Raider |
| 20. | Babu M | Defender |
| 21. | Kuldeep Singh | All-rounder |
| 22. | Raju Lal Choudhary | Defender |
