PKL 2019, Match 6: Puneri Paltan vs Haryana Steelers - predicting each team's starting 7
Day 3 of VIVO Pro Kabaddi 2019 will see the Puneri Paltan and Haryana Steelers lock horns in the second game of the day at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad at 8:30 PM IST. A fresh new-look Puneri Paltan, after a revamp in their squad will face the bold defensive unit of Haryana Steelers.
It is also the faceoff between the teams who have signed experienced coaches for the upcoming edition of the tournament with Anup Kumar and Rakesh Kumar as the head coaches for Pune and Haryana respectively.
Head To Head Record
Puneri Paltan have had the upper hand against the Haryana Steelers with five victories to their name. Haryana have only managed to defeat Pune once, in season 5.
Puneri Paltan
With a new coach and a fresh new logo, Puneri Paltan will be looking to build a new start for themselves ahead of season 7. They bought a competitive side in the tournament with a rock-solid defense and plethora of options in the offense.
Right cover defender PO Surjeet Singh will lead the team after under his captaincy, the Bengal Warriors qualified for the playoffs in the past two seasons. This block-specialist will form a cover-corner duo with Girish Ernak, who is a master of ankle holds. Their combination tackles could become lethal for the opposition raiders.
Nitin Tomar will lead the offense of Puneri Paltan after two seasons of consistent performances in the raiding unit. He has 377 raid points in 57 matches in history. However, with the recent announcement of his Nitin's muscle-pull injury, his status for tonight's encounter remains doubtful.
Manjeet Dahiya, who was picked by the Paltan for a sum of 63 lakhs could lead the offensive unit in Tomar's absence. Darshan Kadian will also play a prominent role in their first encounter as the second raider.
Ths team has Sushant Sail, Pawan Kadian, Emad Sedaghatnia as the teams' do or die raiders who can get picked for crucial situations in the matches. Right corner Shubham Shinde will look to make a quick impression in the game while left cover defender Sanket Sawant might be playing his first VIVO Pro Kabaddi match today.
Haryana Steelers
Haryana Steelers made some relatively cheap buys at the auction as they signed the versatility and experience of Dharmaraj Cheralathan who will lead the team as captain. He will have support through Kuldeep Singh, who is a diving ankle-hold specialist and scored 49 tackle points last season.
The offensive unit of Haryana Steelers looks balanced with Vikash Khandola as the team's find in the raiding department. Vikash has 235 raid points in 31 matches played for Haryana Steelers. Prashanth Kumar Rai could be leading the team's attack as both of these left raiders will play together, having last played for the same franchise in season 5.
Naveen and Selvamani K are the options for Haryana's Do or Die raids in the match. Vikas Kale could probably be gearing up for his role in the right cover position along with Parveen, who could slot in to play at the left cover position.
Predicted Starting 7:
Puneri Paltan: Shubham Shinde (Right Corner), Darsgan Kadian (Right In), PO Surjeet Singh (Right Cover), Nitin Tomar/Pawan Kadian (Center), Sanket Sawant (Left Cover), Manjeet Dahiya (Left In), and Girish Ernak (Left Corner)
Haryana Steelers: Dharmaraj Cheralathan (Right Corner), Prashant Kumar Rai (Right In), Vikas Kale (Right Cover), Vikash Khandola (Center), Parveen (Left Cover), Naveen Bazzad (Left In), and Kuldeep Singh (Left Corner)
Follow Sportskeeda to get the 2019 Pro Kabaddi Points Table, PKL Results, PKL Stats, 2019 PKL Schedule and Latest News and Updates