Coach Rakesh Kumar reveals why Haryana Steelers relied on do-or-die raids against Dabang Delhi KC
Haryana Steelers head coach Rakesh Kumar disclosed the reason behind his team's defensive approach on the raiding side during their Pro Kabaddi 2022 match against Dabang Delhi KC on Saturday.
Dabang Delhi KC locked horns with the Haryana Steelers in the first match of Saturday's Triple Panga and recorded a 28-25 win. Haryana scored only 15 raid points in the match. The team's raiders executed multiple empty raids during the contest.
At the post-match press conference, the team's coach Kumar said that Dabang Delhi KC's strong defense was the reason why Haryana played majorly on do-or-die raids. Kumar said:
"Dabang Delhi KC are a good team, and they planned for us properly. We tried to play on do-or-die raids only because their defense is good."
The scores were level in the 39th minute of the match between Delhi and Haryana. However, a super raid from Vijay in the dying moments ensured that the Dabangs won the game by three points.
I won't say that the defense played badly: Haryana Steelers coach Rakesh Kumar
Rakesh Kumar was asked about the costly error made by the defenders in the final moments of the match. The coach defended that error and highlighted how the players performed well overall in the match. He felt the raiders could have scored more points. Kumar said:
"The defense played really well in the first half and even in the second half, they performed well. I won't say that the defense played badly. Yes, they made errors in the last two-three raids. Overall, the defenders were impressive. I think if our raiders scored more points, the result might have been different."
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The Haryana Steelers can now rest for three days. The Vikash Kandola-led outfit will return to the mat on Wednesday for a battle against Puneri Paltan.