Bengal Warriors’ semi-final spot on the line in match against Haryana Steelers

Bengal Warriors will defend their Top 2 spot against Haryana Steelers on Thursday in Match 97 of vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge, Balewadi in Pune. Haryana Steelers have played one less match than Bengal Warriors so far and sit four points behind them. A win will see them have just enough points to slip ahead and take over the second spot in the Season 7 standings.

Match 97: Bengal Warriors vs Haryana Steelers

Head-to-head: Bengal Warriors 0 – 3 Haryana Steelers

Bengal Warriors

Played: 16

Won: 9

Tied: 3

Lost: 4

Win Rate: 56.25%

Best Raider: Maninder Singh

Best Defender: Baldev Singh

Bengal Warriors come into Match 97 on the back of a three-match winning streak, with the latest one against Bengaluru Bulls being a last-minute thriller. Maninder Singh scored 17 raid points in that match and led from the front, but another key highlight for Bengal Warriors was Mohammad Nabibakhsh’s first vivo Pro Kabaddi High 5, which he reached in 10 tackle attempts. The Iranian all-rounder has been a vital cog in a number of Bengal Warriors’ tense matches this season and they will want him to keep delivering at the same level consistently. Another big player for the team has been Sukesh Hegde, who has shown the ability to deliver big at vital junctures and aid the team’s cause. The trio, combined with second raider K Prapanjan’s brilliance this season, has been the reason for Bengal Warriors’ success and will once again look to shine to help their team defeat Haryana Steelers for the first time in vivo Pro Kabaddi history.

Haryana Steelers

Played: 15

Won: 10

Tied: 1

Lost: 4

Win Rate: 66.67%

Best Raider: Vikash Kandola

Best Defender: Sunil

Haryana Steelers have been on an excellent run which has seen them lose only one of their past 11 matches. The star of this period has, undoubtedly, been Vikash Kandola, who leads their raiding department with 116 raid points to his name. He scored his seventh Super 10 in the team’s victory over Tamil Thalaivas and showed remarkable ability to control the match once his team was ahead. Vinay played an excellent supporting role as well and finished with a Super 10 to his name. The raider adds more depth and variety to an already strong attack which also includes Prashanth Kumar Rai and Naveen. The team’s leading defender so far is Sunil, but he has able allies in Vikas Kale, Ravi Kumar and skipper Dharmaraj Cheralathan, all of whom have been playing well in tandem with each other this season.