Pro Kabaddi 2023: Haryana Steelers' SWOT Analysis
Haryana Steelers joined the Pro Kabaddi League in 2017. They were one of the four new franchises to enter the PKL along with Gujarat Giants, Tamil Thalaivas and UP Yoddhas.
While none of the four new teams have won the Pro Kabaddi League yet, the Giants and the Yoddhas have been more successful than the Haryana Steelers. Speaking of Haryana's journey, they have qualified for playoffs in two out of the five seasons they have played.
Under coach Manpreet Singh's guidance, the Steelers will aim to win their first PKL title this year. Here is the Haryana squad for Pro Kabaddi 2023:
K. Prapanjan, Vinay, Naveen, Harsh, Monu, Sunny, Vishal S. Tate, Jaya Soorya NS, Ashish, Chandran Ranjit, Siddharth Sirish Desai, Mohit, Rahul Sethpal, Jaideep, Mohit, Shivam Anil Patare, Hardeep, Himanshu Choudhary, Ravindra Chouhan, Ghanshyam Roka Magar and Hasan Balbool.
Haryana Steelers will play their first match of PKL 10 against the UP Yoddhas on December 6. Before the Steelers take the mat in Pro Kabaddi 2023, here's a SWOT analysis of the team.
Strengths - Cover defenders
The cover duo of Mohit Nandal and Jaideep Dahiya is the biggest strength of the Haryana team. Nandal and Dahiya have played as a pair for multiple seasons now. Both cover defenders debuted in PKL 8 for the Haryana-based franchise.
In the two seasons he has played so far, left cover Jaideep has earned 123 points in 43 matches. Meanwhile, his cover partner Mohit has earned 87 points in 43 games. If the pair of Mohit and Jaideep fires on all cylinders, the opposition raiders will have a hard time scoring points against the Steelers in PKL 10.
Weaknesses - Absence of PKL champions
As mentioned earlier, Haryana Steelers have made it to the playoffs twice in the Pro Kabaddi League. However, on both occasions, they were eliminated before the final. Even in the last two seasons, Haryana finished seventh, missing out on a playoffs spot due to a decline in performance during the crucial matches.
It is quite important to have a strong mindset in high-stake matches. The Haryana squad does not have such a player who has led a team to the trophy before. Head coach Manpreet Singh will have to work hard to motivate his boys to bring their best in do-or-die matches and win the trophy.
Opportunities - Chance for Vinay to revive his PKL career
Haryana have backed Vinay a lot. The young raider impressed in his debut season in PKL 7 by scoring 129 points in 23 matches. However, in PKL 8 and 9, he managed a total of 85 points only.
Vinay can play the supporting raider's role to perfection. Since Haryana decided to retain him before the auction, the young raider will be keen to have another season like PKL 7 in the Haryana Steelers jersey.
Threats - New faces in corners
Haryana had experienced defenders like Nitin Rawal and Joginder Narwal for the corner positions last year. However, this year, the team management has decided to try new faces in the corner positions.
The Steelers tried new defenders Jaideep Dahiya and Mohit Nandal at covers in PKL 8, and it worked wonders. They have taken the risk again by signing players like Naveen Kundu, Monu Hooda, Rahul Rawal, Mohit Kaler, Hardeep Kandola, Ravindra Chouhan, and Himanshu Choudhary for the corners.
There are too many new faces. The Haryana Steelers will have to quickly decide their corner combination and hope that the luxury of having too many options does not lead to the team giving less chances to the players selected first. If they chop and change frequently, it can hurt the team's balance.