Pro Kabaddi 2023, Puneri Paltan vs Haryana Steelers: Who won yesterday’s PKL 2023 match?
Match 24 of Pro Kabaddi 2023 saw Puneri Paltan take on the Haryana Steelers at the Balewadi Stadium, Pune, on Friday, December 15. It was the second game of the Pune leg with the home side Paltan entering as crowd favorites. Pune and Haryana both came into this game on the back of two consecutive victories. Fans expected a thriller contest and that's what it produced.
Puneri Paltan got the crowd going with a hint of dominance in the initial few minutes. Aslam Inamdar, their skipper, started off the proceeding with a multi-point raid. But the Haryana Steelers didn't panic and soon made a brilliant comeback.
It was Vinay who anchored that comeback with a five-point raid. Gaurav Khatri at the right corner for Pune attempted a block but Vinay had other plans. He executed a sensation jump to escape and got the best of five defenders in that process.
But the Paltans also didn't back down from a fight and kept the scoreboard ticking. The match was evenly poised with no team ready to take a fall. However, Puneri Paltan, just before the half-time break, inflicted an all-out to gain a 24-21 lead at the end of the first half.
Who won Player of the Match in yesterday's Pro Kabaddi 2023 match?
The Paltans continued their momentum in the second half. They immediately pounced upon the Steelers to have an upper edge. However, the Steelers regrouped after the Strategic Timeout and made a strong comeback.
Vinay and Rahul Sethpal took charge of raiding and defending respectively to bring Haryana right back in the game. With the last five minutes to go, the match looked pretty even.
But Haryana held their nerves in the crunch situations and executed an all-out in the last minute. It was then clearly Haryana's game from there with Pune not having time to bounce back. Ultimately, Haryana Steelers clinched a 39-44 win to win three games on the trot and hand Puneri Paltan their maiden defeat of Pro Kabaddi 2023.
Vinay starred for Haryana Steelers with 15 raid points to his name. He played a crucial role in Haryana's win and was named the Player of the Match for his performance.
With this win, the Haryana Steelers climbed up to the third spot with 15 points. Meanwhile, Puneri Paltan holds the sixth spot with 11 points. It will be exciting to see how these teams play going forward in the Pro Kabaddi 2023 season.