Bengal Warriors and Haryana Steelers fight to fortify their spot in top six

Bengal Warriors will be looking to strengthen their position in the top six of vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 when they face Haryana Steelers at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in Delhi on Monday. Bengal Warriors are unbeaten in their last five games and will be eyeing their sixth win of the campaign on Monday. Haryana Steelers, meanwhile, have never lost to Bengal Warriors and will be looking for their sixth win of the season, too, in order to boost their chances of a top-six finish.

Match 60: Bengal Warriors vs Haryana Steelers

Head-to-head: Bengal Warriors 0 – 2 Haryana Steelers. 0 Ties.

Bengal Warriors

Form guide:

Played: 9

Won: 5

Tied: 2

Lost: 2

Win rate: 55.56%

Best Raider: Maninder Singh

Best Defender: Baldev Singh

After a convincing display to brush aside Patna Pirates in their last game, Bengal Warriors will hope they can continue with their winning momentum and extend their unbeaten run to six matches. Their talisman in attack - Maninder Singh - has been consistent and will be a source of concern for Haryana Steelers’ defence. However, he won’t be the only raider they will need to stop to have a shot at victory. The likes of K. Prapanjan and all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh have already proven their quality in attack for Bengal Warriors and will be itching to make an impact on Monday. Their defence also possesses a wealth of talent, making for a well-balanced unit that has, unsurprisingly, been towards the top of the table for most the season. Rinku Narwal registered a High 5 for them last time around, but Jeeva Kumar and Baldev Singh are also capable of producing similar performances, as seen in the past.

Haryana Steelers

Form guide:

Played: 9

Won: 5

Tied: 0

Lost: 4

Win rate: 55.56%

Best Raider: Vikash Kandola

Best Defender: Sunil

On their day, and with Vikash Kandola in form, Haryana Steelers are capable of steamrolling any opposition. Kandola holds the key for Haryana Steelers since the team generally fares better when he’s on top of his game. It’s no surprise that a lot of their wins this season have coincided with strong performances from Kandola. Keeping him quiet on Monday could well be half the battle won for Bengal Warriors. That said, it’s not like Haryana Steelers don’t have other options in attack with the likes of Prashanth Kumar Rai, Naveen, Vinay and Selvamani K, all in their ranks. However, they need to step up and take some of the pressure off Kandola’s shoulders while raiding on Monday, or else the team risks being over-dependent on their talisman. As far as the defence goes, Haryana Steelers seem to have improved as the season has progressed. Sunil has been their best performer in that department and is currently their leading tackle point scorer (22). The experience of Vikas Kale and Dharmaraj Cheralathan further bolsters their defence, while Ravi Kumar and Chand Singh also offered glimpses of what they’re capable of in the team’s last game.