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The eleventh leg of Pro Kabaddi League 2019 ended in Panchkula a few nights ago as the home team Haryana Steelers recorded a comfortable win over the perennial underachievers, Telugu Titans. The Steelers ended the Panchkula leg with a 50 percent record as they won their matches versus the Titans and Gujarat Fortune Giants but they could not conquer the U.P. Yoddha and Bengaluru Bulls.
Interestingly, they made only one change (against Telugu Titans) in their starting seven throughout the home leg which also shows that coach Rakesh Kumar has full confidence in the top seven players of his side.
Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Co. also sealed their position in the playoffs during the course of the home leg, much to the joy of the fans. Now, let us have a look at the player ratings of the Steelers from their home leg -
#1 Prashanth Kumar Rai - 9/10
Matches - 4, Raid Points - 36, Average Raid Points/Match - 9
While the fans expected Vikash Kandola to emerge as the best player of the home team, the former Telugu Titans star, Prashanth Kumar Rai surprised everyone with his consistency during the Panchkula leg.
He started off the home leg slowly but picked up pace as the leg progressed. Rai scored 3 raid points against U.P. Yoddha and then missed out on a Super 10 versus Gujarat Fortune Giants. However, he led his side from the front against Bengaluru Bulls by aggregating 17 raid points.
Rai ended the home leg with 7 raid points against Telugu Titans as his overall tally reached 36 raid points. Undoubtedly, he was Haryana Steelers' best player during the side's home leg.
#2 Vinay - 7/10
Matches - 4, Raid Points - 25, Average Raid Points/Match - 6.25
The only Haryana Steelers raider who troubled the defence of U.P. Yoddha on the opening night of the Panchkula leg was Vinay. Despite being one of the youngest players of the team, the raider scored 8 touch points against a defence consisting of Nitesh Kumar and Sumit.
Though he could not carry on his form in the later matches, Vinay supported Vikash Kandola and Prashanth Kumar Rai to perfection. His average of 6.25 raid points per match is superb given that he plays as the third raider of the team.
#3 Vikash Kandola - 8/10
Matches - 4, Raid Points - 34, Average Raid Points/Match - 8.50
The vice-captain of Haryana Steelers, Vikash Kandola failed to live up to his fans' expectations in the games against Bengaluru Bulls and U.P. Yoddha. Although he scored Super 10s in the other two matches, the home fans must have expected Kandola to come out all guns blazing versus the Bulls and the Yoddhas as well. Also, the raider was tackled on 8 occasions in those two fixtures.
However, since his two Super 10s helped the Steelers win the other two games, the team management would not be worried about Kandola's form.
#4 Ravi Kumar - 8/10
Matches - 4, Tackle Points - 14, Average Tackle Points/Match - 3.5
With an average of 3.5 tackle points per match, the right cover defender Ravi Kumar proved to be the best defender of the home team. He kicked off the Panchkula leg with a bang by scoring 5 tackle points against U.P. Yoddha. However, his form dipped in the other two matches as he managed to score only a couple of tackle points.
When the Steelers hosted Telugu Titans in their final match, Kumar decided to entertain the fans by producing some fine tackles. He pulled off his best performance of the home leg by amassing 7 tackle points versus Siddharth Desai and Co.
#5 Sunil - 6/10
Matches - 4, Tackle Points - 9, Average Tackle Points/Match - 2.5
The right corner of Haryana Steelers, Sunil has showcased his tackling abilities on the grandest stage of kabaddi and has earned praise from fans and critics. Playing in his debut season, Sunil has formed a great combination with veteran Dharmaraj Cheralathan to trouble the opposition raiders.
His fine form continued in the home leg as he scored a total of 9 tackle points in the four games. Though he could not take a High 5, the team management would definitely be impressed by this youngster's performance.
#6 Vikas Kale - 1/10
Matches - 4, Tackle Points - 3, Average Tackle Points/Match - 0.75
The only matter of concern for the home team was the form of left cover defender, Vikas Kale. The seasoned pro had done well in the earlier part of the season, however, he could not even open his account in the last two matches of the Panchkula leg.
Kale's best performance came against U.P. Yoddha where he took 2 tackle points but when the Steelers hosted the Bengaluru Bulls, Pawan Sehrawat and Co. troubled Kale a lot. The defender committed a shocking number of ten unsuccessful tackles during that match hence, the fans may be worried about his form.
#7 Dharmaraj Cheralathan - 5/10
Matches - 3, Tackle Points - 6, Average Tackle Points/Match - 2
The captain of Haryana Steelers, Dharmaraj Cheralathan did not feature in the last match of the home leg but in the 3 games that he played, he scored 6 tackle points for his team. His best outing was against Gujarat Fortune Giants where his 4 tackle points helped his team win the match by 1 point.
He gave his best in the other matches as well, however, the team would need better results from him in the playoffs stage.
Which Haryana Steelers player impressed you the most during the Panchkula leg? Share your views in the comments box below.
