Bengaluru Bulls Vs Haryana Steelers 09 December 2023

Full-Time
Bengaluru Bulls 32 - 38 Haryana Steelers

Spare a thought for the Bengaluru Bulls' fans who thought tonight was going to be different after Bharat Hooda put in arguably the best first raid in PKL history, picking up five points. However, the Steelers hit back and for most of the first half, it was Bharat vs the Steelers as Vinay and Jaideep Dahiya led from the front for Haryana in the raiding and defensive departments, respectively.

It was, in fact, the Steelers' defense that won them the match as they finished the match with 16 tackle points, with Mohit Khaler and Jaideep Dahiya finishing with High 5s to their name, as Vinay and Siddharth Desai combined to contribute 14 raid points.

As for the Bulls, Bharat was all alone in the raiding department, and after a point, even he was overcome with raiding fatigue and was tackled on numerous occasions, despite finishing with a 14-point haul. Surjeet Singh came alive in the second half, providing some much-needed impetus to the Bulls defense in the second half as they matched the Steelers for tackle points.

In fact, the Bulls outscored the Steelers 19-11 in the second half, but the damage was done in the first, and Jaideep Dahiya and co. did well to keep a cool head and get their first win of the season with a polar opposite performance to the one they put in against the Yoddhas only a couple of days back. Bengaluru will be in action again on Monday, and they need to sort out the issues in the team as quickly as possible.

That riveting contest was only a prelude to what we have lined up on this doubleheader Saturday, as Pardeep Narwal goes head-to-head with Pawan Sehrawat as the UP Yoddhas take on the Telugu Titans in the second game of the night. Click here to catch the complete coverage of that match as I, Shreyas, sign off for the night. 

2nd Half, 40'
Bengaluru Bulls 32 - 38 Haryana Steelers

That should be game, set, and match. Bharat has put in perhaps one raid too many, and in a 1v4 situation, he is brought down by an ankle hold Ashish. Abhishek Singh also gets tackled by Rahul Sethpal and even as Vinay gets tackled in the last raid of the match by Surjeet Singh, who gets a second-half High 5, but the Haryana Steelers win, and it's four defeats on the trot for the Bulls.

2nd Half, 39'
Bengaluru Bulls 31 - 36 Haryana Steelers

Surjeet Singh puts in an immense tackle to get his 4th tackle point of the night! He has been superb in this 2nd half. Bharat quickly follows up with a running hand touch on the left corner. Time running out for the Bulls here. Their raiders have to do the job for them here.

2nd Half, 38'
Bengaluru Bulls 29 - 36 Haryana Steelers

Bharat goes into raid instead of the in-form Abhishek, and Mohit Khaler puts in a confident ankle hold to get to his High 5! Oh, wait the referees are conferring here, and the raider is safe.

Bharat is a lucky man! The defender appears to have stepped out of bounds and is involved in the tackle. Haryana review, and this could be a huge moment in the match.

Ohh, this is close, Mohit's foot does cross the lobby, but does it come before or after the raider and defender make contact? Review successful!

A Huge moment and a great review. Point to the Steelers as Mohit gets his High 5.

2nd Half, 37'
Bengaluru Bulls 29 - 35 Haryana Steelers

Abhishek Singh comes in to raid, and wipes out the Steelers' cover combination. They are vulnerable here the Steelers, and with a little over three minutes on the clock, the Bulls still have a shot.

Abhishek Singh comes on now for the Bengaluru Bulls, and guess what, he gets a 2-point raid within ten seconds. Why has he been on the bench all along?

2nd Half, 36'
Bengaluru Bulls 27 - 35 Haryana Steelers

3rd tackle point for Surjeet Singh, and he is keeping the Bulls in this game! The cleanest of dashes to get rid of Vinay, but any momentum they gain in defense is lost as the Steelers defense have been on top throughout. Mohit Khaler gets his 4th tackle point and comes around to blindside Bharat.

2nd Half, 34'
Bengaluru Bulls 26 - 33 Haryana Steelers

Mohit Nandal gets his first tackle point of the night, but what a moment to get it! He comes in with a strong block-dash to send Bharat back to the bench in a do-or-die raid for the Bulls. 

2nd Half, 32'
Bengaluru Bulls 26 - 32 Haryana Steelers

Bharat with a swift toe touch to get rid of the left corner and bring the deficit down to 6. Siddharth Desai says two can play at this game, uses his reach to get an easy touch on Parteek, who is way too advanced than he should be. 

Saurabh Nandal gets rid of the threat of Siddharth Desai with another quality ankle hold. Siddharth has fared better as a right raider when he's taking on Aman, while Saurabh Nandal has had his number throughout the match.

2nd Half, 30'
Bengaluru Bulls 24 - 31 Haryana Steelers

Do-or-die raid for the Steelers with only three on the mat, and Surjeet Singh comes in clutch with another huge tackle point! Bharat then follows up with a point, and all of a sudden, the deficit is down to 9, and the Steelers are down to their last man.

The substitute Parteek, who replaced Vishal in the left cover comes in with the tackle, and the Bulls get their first all-out of the match on the stroke of the strategic timeout. 

The Bulls have put in a much better performance in the second half, and it's an inspired Surjeet Singh who has led their fight back. Can the Steelers regroup and retain their lead or will the Bulls' rampage continue?

2nd Half, 28'
Bengaluru Bulls 19 - 30 Haryana Steelers

Surjeet Singh with his 1st tackle point of the night! The Bulls need him leading from the front here, and hope this can be the start of a comeback. Bharat then gets a crucial point in a 1v4 situation, and the Steelers are now down to three. If the Bulls can enforce a quick all-out, they may still have a chance. 

2nd Half, 26'
Bengaluru Bulls 17 - 30 Haryana Steelers

Jaideep Dahiya has been monstrous tonight! He picks up his 6th tackle point of the night as Sushil makes his way to the bench. At the other end, Bharat gets his Super 10 with a running hand touch on the right cover, but it's nowhere near enough for the Bulls!

2nd Half, 24'
Bengaluru Bulls 16 - 29 Haryana Steelers

A string of empty raids means it's time for the do-or-die raids, and for once, the Bulls' defense stays disciplined and get the better of Vinay. Bharat is smart to pick up a quick bonus on the Bulls' do-or-die raid. Siddharth Desai then steps into the lobby in his raid. A few points in succession for the Bulls here.

2nd Half, 22'
Bengaluru Bulls 13 - 29 Haryana Steelers

The Steelers extend their lead at the start of the second half, with Siddharth Desai easily picking up a bonus point before Sushil is tackled by the left corner Mohit Khaler.

Half-Time
Bengaluru Bulls 13 - 27 Haryana Steelers

That has to be one of the most rollercoaster halves of kabaddi in the history of the league. Bharat Hooda got the home crowd to roar in the first 20 seconds with a huge 5-point raid to start things off, following it up with a point to reduce the Steelers to one. However, Vinay rescued them, and along with Jaideep Dahiya, brought Bharat down to register a Super Tackle.

It has been a Vinay and Jaideep show since then, with the Steelers captain scoring a High 5 in just 16 minutes, while Vinay is only two away from a Super 10. Slowly, the rest of the team joined the party, with Siddharth Desai helping them effect the second all-out, and Manpreet Singh will be a happy coach at the break. They will have to be wary of the Bulls' penchant for second-half comebacks, but with the way they're playing, they can breathe easy.

As for the Bulls, Bharat has been their only source of inspiration on what has been a dreadful team effort so far. Saurabh Nandal has two tackle points to his name, but the rest of the defense has completely drawn blanks. The rest of the team needs to step up if they want to give themselves a shot at picking up their first win of PKL 10.

1st Half, 20'
Bengaluru Bulls 13 - 27 Haryana Steelers

A bonus point from Siddharth Desai as the Bulls' defense sigh in exasperation, when the whistle blows for half-time! The Steelers take a 14-point lead into the break, and they've looked a completely different side from the team we saw on Wednesday.

1st Half, 18'
Bengaluru Bulls 11 - 24 Haryana Steelers

Siddharth Desai completes the rout as the Steelers get their 2nd all-out! It was 1v2 and with their current level of form, there was no way the Bulls was stopping Siddharth.

1st Half, 17'
Bengaluru Bulls 10 - 20 Haryana Steelers

The Haryana Steelers defense has been brilliant today! Jaideep gets his High 5, and we're not even at half-time! Bharat sent back, and the Bulls are in trouble, because Vinay has a Do-or-die raid up next, and he gets a two-point raid, reducing Bulls to two on the mat.

1st Half, 14'
Bengaluru Bulls 10 - 17 Haryana Steelers

Vinay unleashes a venomous back kick, targetting a hapless Aman in the left corner in a Do-or-Die raid, preventing the Bulls from sustain any momentum. Credit where it's due, the Steelers have been brilliant, both in bouncing back from their defeat in the last match, and the shocking start they had to the match.

1st Half, 12'
Bengaluru Bulls 9 - 16 Haryana Steelers

The Bulls start strongly post the break, with Sushil picking up a point, and Saurabh Nandal following up with a well-timed ankle hold on Siddharth Desai. Sushil then gifts a point back, though, stepping into the lobby with no pressure on him. Unforced errors like this will hurt the Bulls.

1st Half, 10'
Bengaluru Bulls 7 - 15 Haryana Steelers

How good has Jaideep Dahiya been so far! Put in that stellar Super Tackle to send Bharat back to the bench, and he now sends Neeraj Narwal back to the bench with a solid block. He's just one point away from a High 5 Now! Saurabh Nandal is the first player not named Bharat to pick up a point for the Bulls, but Bharat goes into raid and is tackled by the left corner! 

The whistle blows for the strategic timeout, and what a game this has been! It was euphoria for the Bulls in the first minute of the match, but despair ever since. Can they find some stability and assurance in this chaos?

1st Half, 8'
Bengaluru Bulls 6 - 12 Haryana Steelers

Vinay has been electric so far! Bulls decide to play on the do-or-die raid with three on the mat, but Vishal is a sitting duck on the left corner with no support coming in from the right side of the defense. And just like that, Vikash can't pick up a point in a Do-or-die raid, and the Steelers have the first all-out of the match! This is bonkers from the Bulls, Bharat or nothing won't win them matches.

The scoreline can well read: Bharat 6 - 12 Haryana Steelers.

1st Half, 5'
Bengaluru Bulls 6 - 7 Haryana Steelers

Vinay has been stellar for the Haryana Steelers, gets a crucial point in a Do-or-Die raid. Bulls have a Do-or-die raid immediately after, and their defense pounces, and once again, it's Jaideep Dahiya with the tackle point. Guess what, Bulls are down to three now, and the Steelers are in the lead! What a roller-coaster start this has been.

1st Half, 3'
Bengaluru Bulls 6 - 5 Haryana Steelers

Vinay helps the Steelers avoid a very very early all-out, picks up a bonus+point with the Steelers reduced to one. Ohh, and with only two men on the mat, Bharat goes into raid, but Jaideep Dahiya and Vinay execute a stellar Super Tackle, and despite Bharat's fabulous start, it's only a 1-point game!

1st Half, 1'
Bengaluru Bulls 5 - 0 Haryana Steelers

That is a humungous Super Raid from Bharat! The referees are counting, and this could be colossal! It's Five. He escapes from the attempted ankle hold from the right in, and the entire right side of the defense comes in for the tackle, and Bharat shows extraordinary awareness and strength to get past the mid-line.

We're all set for live action here. Bharat to start proceedings for the Bulls.

This match between two out-of-form sides could be a hard one to call for the neutrals. Take a look at Sportskeeda's Prediction for the same:

Have some last-minute confusion whether to play it safe or pick a differential in your Dream11 teams? Check out Sportskeeda's Dream11 Prediction for the match:

Team News

Here are the starting lineups of the two sides:

Bengaluru Bulls: Saurabh Nandal (C), Aman, Surjeet Singh, Bharat, Vishal Lather, Neeraj Narwal, and Sushil.

Haryana Steelers: Jaideep Dahiya and Mohit Nandal (C), Rahul Sethpal, Mohit Khaler, Siddharth Desai, Vinay, and Ashish.

Haryana Steelers go with an unchanged starting 7, and that's a good sign, as they clearly believe that the defeat against UP was a one-off, and just a bad day at the office. Bengaluru Bulls make one change to their starting 7, with Sushil getting a deserved upgrade to the starting 7, with Vikash Khandola dropping to the bench.

Hello and Welcome to Sportskeeda's coverage of Pro Kabaddi 2023. We have an exciting set of games lined up on this wonderful Saturday evening. First up, it's the home side Bengaluru Bulls taking on fellow strugglers Haryana Steelers at the Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium.

Three games. Three defeats. All within margins of 7. Bengaluru Bulls have had a tough start to the season. They've had something positive to take away from each of their matches, but haven't had the end result to go with it. Bharat's return to form with a Super 10 was the positive in the 31-38 defeat to Dabang Delhi KC yesterday, but the supporting raiders were nowhere to be seen, while the defending was woeful. That defeat followed close ones to the Gujarat Giants and the Bengal Warriors, and suddenly, the Bulls find themselves in must-win territory here.

Their opponents, the Haryana Steelers, had a day to forget against the UP Yoddhas in what was their only match of PKL 10 so far. Coach Manpreet Singh would've been displeased at the way his side crumbled against Pardeep Narwal's team, losing by a whopping 30-point margin to the scoreline 57-27. Nothing went right for the Steelers, with the raiding department having one of the worst days in their PKL career as the UP defenders made merry of the situation. The defending was slightly better, with Rahul Sethpal and Mohit Nandal having good games, but Jaideep Dahiya wouldn't want to face Pardeep Narwal anytime soon.

Both teams will want to deliver a response in what could be a high-octane and thrilling encounter. So, sit back, relax, and take in all the action as I, Shreyas, take you through all that unfolds over the next hour and a half.