U Mumba Vs Haryana Steelers 10 January 2024

Full-Time
U Mumba 44 - 44 Haryana Steelers

That is how you make a comeback! U Mumba reward their home fans with a stellar final passage of play to end their 2-match losing streak and pick up three crucial points on the points table, reducing a 7-point Haryana lead to nothing in the last four minutes!

This match was a high-scoring one right from the start, and the common pattern that followed was Haryana taking the lead, U Mumba coming close to leveling things, but not making the most of their opportunity to get level and ahead in the match. 

They certainly performed well on the defensive front, with Sombir picking up a High 5, and Rinku also securing four tackle points. In the raiding department, Alireza's first start didn't go as he would've expected, but his Iranian teammate delivered for U Mumba, scoring 13 raid points, including 4 points in the span of 45 seconds right at the end to get U Mumba back in the match.

For Haryana, Chandran Ranjit had a busy game and picked up some crucial bonus points to finish with 6 raid points, while both Siddharth Desai and Vinay scored 7 apiece. However, it was their captain Jaideep who was the star for the Steelers, as he picked up 8 tackle points, with Rahul Sethpal in the right corner also getting a High 5.

In the end, a tie seemed the fair result, and massive credit to U Mumba for never giving up until the dying moments of the match! This Mumbai leg has arguably been one of the best this season, with some memorable comebacks and plenty of nail-biting contests across these six days. The action shifts to Jaipur from Friday, and one hopes for more of the same as the PKL enters the second half of its campaign. Until next time, this is Shreyas signing off! Good night!

2nd Half, 40'
U Mumba 44 - 44 Haryana Steelers

ALL OUT for U MUMBA! The crowd roars as U Mumba level the scores, with Vinay falling to an ankle hold from Sombir after picking up a bonus point.

With the scores level, both teams opt to play it safe and take the tie, and the Mumbai leg ends with one of the best matches of the season, and rather dramatically, it ends in a tie!

2nd Half, 40'
U Mumba 41 - 43 Haryana Steelers

What is happening at the Dome by NSCI?! U Mumba appear to throw away yet another opportunity to get level as Surinder goes in with an advanced tackle to gift a point to Vinay, who also gets the bonus.

Zafardanesh refuses to give up, however, and picks up another two-point raid, and once again, Haryana are down to one!

2nd Half, 39'
U Mumba 39 - 41 Haryana Steelers

The 1v4 is the hardest situation for a raider and not even Guman Singh proves an exception to that rule as Rahul Sethpal gets his High 5 by bringing down the left raider. However, a do-or-die raid follows for Haryana in which Chandran Ranjit is tackled once again, this time by Sombir in the left corner.

The deficit comes back down to four, and Zafardanesh puts in arguably the most important raid of the match, picking up two touch points to get rid of the right side of the Haryana defense. The deficit is down to two now! What a match this has been!

Two minutes to go, four points the difference between the two teams, as Haryana have four men on the mat.

2nd Half, 37'
U Mumba 36 - 40 Haryana Steelers

Well, it's certainly the first option say U Mumba as they pick up two points in no time! Guman Singh is gifted a point by an indecisive Mohit, following which Shivam is tackled by Mahender Singh in U Mumba's left cover. Amirmohammad Zafardanesh's pace then proves too quick for the retreating Mohit Nandal, and U Mumba are right back in this match!

U Mumba call a timeout with less than four and a half minutes to play and a 7-point deficit to contend with. Can they pull off a heist to win this match or will they settle for a point?

2nd Half, 35'
U Mumba 33 - 40 Haryana Steelers

That could be a telling moment in the match! Vinay goes into a do-or-die raid in a 1v4 situation and comes away with a touch on the right corner. Jai Bhagwan, the substitute can't do much as Chandran Ranjit times his challenge to perfection. And just like that, the remaining two men are also prized out by the Steelers as they get their 2nd all-out of the match.

U Mumba drew level only to let the game slip away from them, and seven points seems too steep a deficit to come back from.

2nd Half, 32'
U Mumba 31 - 34 Haryana Steelers

Zafardanesh opens the half in fine fashion, moving quickly to get a touch on Rahul Sethpal on the Haryana right. Shivam Patare is quick to hit back and hurries Alireza into mistime his attempted ankle hold from the right-in position.

Zafardanesh is tackled on the next raid by Mohit, but he's awarded a bonus point, which the Steelers review against. And it was the right call, as the decision is overturned and the point is cancelled.

Shivam Patare comes on for Siddharth Desai, and the Steelers will want him to have a similar impact akin to what he has had in recent games.

2nd Half, 30'
U Mumba 30 - 31 Haryana Steelers

Guman Singh and Zafardanesh have brought U Mumba right back into this match as the scores are level! Guman does well to get Jaideep in a 1v3 situation before Zafardanesh puts in a solid ankle hold from the left-in position on an unsuspecting Siddharth Desai to reduce the Steelers down to one.

Rahul Sethpal isn't one to surrender and makes Zafardanesh work for the all-out, but he gets it and U Mumba draw level right before the timeout, with Chandran Ranjit's bonus point giving the Steelers a narrow one point lead with ten minutes to play! What a match this has been!

2nd Half, 26'
U Mumba 25 - 30 Haryana Steelers

U Mumba clawing their way back into this game, with another successful tackle in a do-or-die raid. This time, it's Rinku who pounces on Vinay, and the defense comes in to support him in time.

Haryana back down to three now, but all three of them are experienced defenders. U Mumba need to be careful to not concede any points here and get the all-out.

2nd Half, 24'
U Mumba 24 - 30 Haryana Steelers

Surinder leads from the front, timing his diving ankle hold on Chandran Ranjit to perfection to get U Mumba's first point of the half. Zafardanesh does brilliantly to send Mohit out on a do-or-die raid, bringing U Mumba back within touching distance of the Steelers.

He's tackled in his next raid, but Mohit Nandal follows him out of the mat, and a point apiece is awarded, despite Mohit's protests.

2nd Half, 24'
U Mumba 20 - 29 Haryana Steelers

It's been all Haryana in this 2nd half, with U Mumba yet to score a single point. Chandran Ranjit accepts a gift of a point from Mahender in a do-or-die raid before Alireza is tackled by Mohit with a well-timed ankle hold.

2nd Half, 22'
U Mumba 20 - 27 Haryana Steelers

That was no contest at all! Zafardanesh is brought down with ease by Rahul Sethpal and the substitute Sunny as he ventures a tad too deep down the right, and U Mumba's great chance at leveling the scores is not taken!

Things not going right for U Mumba at the start of the 2nd half. Guman Singh ventures in to raid with three men on the mat, and Jaideep Dahiya gets his High 5 with another solid dash, and the Steelers add another two points to their total. They lead by 7 now.

Half-Time
U Mumba 20 - 23 Haryana Steelers

This fast-paced game is nicely balanced heading into half-time, with a mere three points separating the two sides. Rinku's return has certainly bolstered the U Mumba defense, and while Haryana has certainly done much better, this is a significant improvement from the home side as compared to their previous two matches. 

In the raiding department, Zafardanesh and Guman Singh have scored some crucial points, while Alireza is yet to really get going, the youngster only managing two bonus points so far. Siddharth Desai's monster Super Raid was the highlight of the Steelers' first half. They got the early all-out riding on the defensive efforts from captain Jaideep Dahiya, who's one point away from a High 5.

However, with only two men on the mat and U Mumba set to raid first, they'll need to pull off a Super Tackle to preserve their lead. It's Zafardanesh who steps in. The second half coming right up. 

1st Half, 20'
U Mumba 20 - 23 Haryana Steelers

U Mumba are defending much better in this match, it has to be said. Sombir goes in with a circumspect attempt on Vinay, but the defense is quick to realise the challenge could be successful if they support him in time, and they do just that, pulling Vinay back in the nick of time.

Zafardanesh then rides on that momentum, with his footwork proving too good for Mohit Khaler in the Haryana left. He follows that up by getting Jaideep Dahiya too. Haryana are down to two, so is the deficit, and U Mumba are right back in this!

Chandran Ranjit picks up a handy bonus point as the whistle blows for half-time! U Mumba will raid first in the second half, and they have a great shot at picking up the all-out and leveling the scores. A terrific second half awaits.

1st Half, 18'
U Mumba 17 - 22 Haryana Steelers

The crowd roars as Siddharth Desai puts in a herculean Super Raid. Rinku gets a good grip on the towering raider's ankle, but Siddharth uses his tremendous lower body strength to power himself to the mid-line, and Surinder and Mahender can do little to stop him from getting there, and just like that U Mumba go behind right when they looked like they were pulling level.

1st Half, 16'
U Mumba 16 - 18 Haryana Steelers

U Mumba immediately hit back with their defense as Chandran Ranjit is unable to get one over Rinku on his do-or-die raid. Once again, both teams keen to play on their defense, but Guman Singh breaks that cycle with a very brave and skillful raid.

He wades deep into the right, but anticipates the challenge from Rahul Sethpal, and goes flying back to the mid-line with two points.

1st Half, 14'
U Mumba 13 - 18 Haryana Steelers

Both teams have five players on the mat, and with the bonus not active, both teams are content to play a deep defensive line and wait for the Do-or-die raids. When that eventually comes, Zafardanesh has no chance against this Haryana defense, with their captain Jaideep Dahiya once again initiating the tackle.

1st Half, 12'
U Mumba 13 - 17 Haryana Steelers

Guman Singh goes into raid in a 1v4 situation, and Jaideep Dahiya ensures the Steelers make the most of the defensive advantage with a solid challenge. The Steelers then extend their lead as Vinay uses his height well to get a touch on Sombir in U Mumba's left corner. 

Alireza pulls one back with a quick bonus point under the nose of the left corner. U Mumba now have four defenders on the mat, and they too make the most of it, with Rinku timing his dash well. That was a great passage of play, but the deficit remains four points.

1st Half, 10'
U Mumba 11 - 15 Haryana Steelers

A tackle point after quite a while for U Mumba as Mahender Singh times his challenge perfectly to send Chandran Ranjit back to the bench. The deficit is down to four for U Mumba, and it stays that way as the whistle blows for the first timeout! 

It has been an engrossing contest so far, can U Mumba level the scores by half-time?

1st Half, 9'
U Mumba 8 - 13 Haryana Steelers

Zafardanesh trying his best to get U Mumba back into the game with a multi-point raid as he breaks through the Haryana cover combination. However, U Mumba's defensive issues look like they're persisting, and the high quality raiding from the Haryana raiders, Chandran Ranjit on this occasion is causing them problems.

1st Half, 7'
U Mumba 6 - 11 Haryana Steelers

U Mumba manage to avoid the all-out for a time being, with Sombir doing exceptionally well to keep Siddharth Desai down in a 1v2 situation, getting his side a Super Tackle.

However, the Haryana defense gives them another opportunity to get the all-out, with Guman Singh sent flying by a Jaideep dash, and this time around, Vinay and the defense manage to complete the all-out.

1st Half, 4'
U Mumba 3 - 6 Haryana Steelers

The Steelers' raiding department is firing on all cylinders, with Vinay racing across the mat to get a hefty touch on Rinku. Siddharth Desai then follows up with a dominant raid, picking up a touch point with U Mumba down to three. Zafardanesh went in deep down the Steelers' right, only to be tackled by Rahul Sethpal. 

U Mumba staring at an all-out now.

1st Half, 2'
U Mumba 2 - 2 Haryana Steelers

Rinku returns to the side and makes an instant impact. A pitch-perfect ankle hold in the very first raid of the match. Just the start the U Mumba defense needed. Haryana hit back strongly, however, with Rahul Sethpal in the Steelers' right putting in a solid ankle hold of his own. 

Siddharth Desai opens his account as Surinder Singh attempts another advanced tackle that doesn't come off, also picking up a bonus point. Zafardanesh then levels the score with a neat bonus point. This match has gotten off to a quick start.

Toss Update: U Mumba win the toss and choose court. Will it be Siddharth Desai who raids first? No, it's Chandran Ranjit who steps up.

Both teams are on the mat, and we're just a few minutes away from the start of the match. 

Get an in-depth look into the history behind this fixture and who the statistics back to win this fixture:

Take a look at three player battles that could have a huge impact on the match:

Too hard to choose between the myriad of quality Dream11 options available in this match? Worry not, as we have you covered with the Dream11 prediction from our experts:

Team News

Here are the starting lineups of both teams:

U Mumba: Surinder Singh (C), Rinku, Mahender Singh, Sombir, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, Guman Singh, and Alireza Mirzaeian.

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

Siddharth Desai returns to the starting lineup for the Steelers, and he'll hope for good backing from the Mumbai crowd, with his U Mumba days still fresh in the minds of the fans.

For U Mumba, Rinku's return to the right corner is huge news for the struggling U Mumba defense, and they'll hope his return rejuvenates them in that sense. They also hand young Alireza Mirzaeian his first start, and the exciting both-sided raider should have an exciting battle on his hands against the Haryana defense.

Preview

Hello and Welcome to Sportskeeda's coverage of the 10th edition of PKL. We're live here at the Dome by NSCI in Mumbai ahead of the final game of the Mumbai leg of PKL 10, where the hosts U Mumba take on the Haryana Steelers.

It has been a difficult two games for U Mumba, with their defense leaking points left and right even as Zafardanesh, Guman Singh, and the rest of the raiding unit have kept them in the hunt. 

Their most recent defeat came against Dabang Delhi KC, where, despite the best efforts of Zafardanesh and Guman Singh, they fell to a 40-34 defeat with their defense, Surinder Singh in particular, making too many errors. They will, however, be bolstered by the potential return of right corner defender Rinku ahead of this match.

The Steelers returned to winning ways after a mini-slump of their own by beating the Bengal Warriors 41-35, courtesy another solid defensive performance led by their two captains in the cover combination. Their raiding unit also delivered the goods, with the points split between Vinay, Chandran Ranjit, and super-sub Shivam Patare.

This clash between the best raiding unit and arguably the best defense in the league is a perfect way to close this Mumbai leg out. So sit back and relax as I, Shreyas, take you through all the action from what should be a thrilling encounter.