Predicting the playing 7 for Haryana Steelers for Pro Kabaddi 2023
Haryana Steelers have had a disappointing couple of seasons after narrowly missing out on the playoffs. They finished seventh in the points table in the last couple of seasons. The Steelers also missed out on making it to the playoffs by a couple of points in the 2022 edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Ahead of the new season, they retained their core players, including K Prapanjan, Vinay, Mohit, and Jaideep. The Steelers went to the auctions with a big purse of INR 3.1 crore.
They spent their money well and acquired some quality players, including Siddharth Desai, Chandran Ranjit, and Rahul Sethpal. The Haryana Steelers have assembled one of the most fearsome raiding attacks in the league.
They are spoilt for choices in the attacking department and picking their starting seven could be a headache for the team management.
Here is their predicted starting seven for the Pro Kabaddi 2023:
Siddharth Desai (Center)
Haryana Steelers pulled off a coup by signing Siddharth Desai for just INR 1 crore. Desai could be injury prone but there is no denying that he is a prolific scorer in the Pro Kabaddi League.
Despite struggling with an injury, Siddharth managed to score 144 points in 17 matches for the Telugu Titans last season. He will try to stay injury-free to take the Haryana Steelers to glory in the PKL 10.
Jaideep Dahiya (Left Cover)
Jaideep joined the Steelers back in 2021 and has been one of the most important players for them ever since. The youngster will be a key player in the Haryana Steelers' defense this season.
He scored 54 tackle points in 21 matches last season, including four High 5s. Jaideep will look to add more consistency to his game in the upcoming season.
Mohit Nandal (Right Cover)
Mohit will once again partner up with Jaideep by taking the right cover position. Mohit will be playing his third season for the Haryana Steelers, having been a part of their side in the previous two editions as well.
Mohit scored 44 tackle points in 21 matches last season, including one High 5. The Steelers will expect him to further elevate his game in the PKL 10.
K Prapanjan (Right In)
The seasoned raider joined the Haryana Steelers last season and struggled with some fitness issues. K Prapanjan had an underwhelming run after scoring only 40 points in 13 matches.
However, Haryana Steelers have kept their faith in Prapanjan's ability and the senior raider is expected to guide the young team to new heights in the PKL 10.
Chandran Ranjit (Left In)
Chandran Ranjit brings in a ton of experience to any side and Haryana Steelers roped him in for the Pro Kabaddi League 2023 for INR 62 lakh.
Chandran Ranjit had an underwhelming previous season with Gujarat Giants as he only managed 99 points in 17 matches. However, he could be the perfect third raider to compliment Siddharth Desai and K Prapanjan in the upcoming edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Rahul Sethpal (Right Corner)
Rahul Sethpal spent his last two seasons with U Mumba but the Haryana Steelers splurged INR 40.7 lakh to secure his services in the PKL 10.
Rahul had a disappointing last season with only 18 points in 15 matches. The Sonepat-based franchise will hope that Rahul can turn around his form to produce match-winning performances this season.
Naveen Kundu (Left Corner)
Haryana Steelers don't have many options in the defense and might have to rely on the inexperienced Naveen Kundu to shoulder the responsibility of the right corner.
Naveen Kundu debuted for the Steelers during the last season. He impressed massively after notching up nine tackle points in just two games, including one High 5.
Probable 7 for Haryana Steelers in PKL 2023
Siddharth Desai, Jaideep Dahiya, Mohit Nandal, K Prapanjan, Chandran Ranjit, Rahul Sethpal, and Naveen Kundu.