Haryana Steelers aim to ride momentum against unbeaten U Mumba

After kickstarting their home campaign with a 32-25 win over Gujarat Fortunegiants, Haryana Steelers will try to take this momentum into their next game against U Mumba. Haryana Steelers will look to use home support to their advantage as they face they mighty U Mumba defence led by captain Fazel Atrachali.

U Mumba will want to continue their unbeaten start to the season and rake up a win in the first of their two games against the home side in Sonepat.

Match 14 (Zone A) - Haryana Steelers vs U Mumba

Head to Head: Haryana Steelers 1-2 U Mumba

Following a loss in their opening game to Puneri Paltan, Haryana Steelers bounced back well with a win against Gujarat Fortunegiants. Captain Monu Goyat led from the front with 7 raid points while his corners put up a defensive masterclass, sharing 10 points between them. With Monu having Naveen and Vikash Khandola as backup raiders, the Haryana Steelers offence is a fearsome unit. When combined with their defence, which also includes veteran Sachin Shingade, Haryana Steelers look strong contender this season.

U Mumba have had a strong start to their campaign and are currently second in Zone B. They secured a draw against Puneri Paltan in the Maharashtra Derby before leaving it late to claim an excellent win against Jaipur Pink Panthers. Youngster Siddharth Desai has had an outstanding start to his debut season, scoring the third-most number of points this season (28). He will look to follow up his two consecutive Super 10s with another strong performance. Rohit Baliyan also had a good game against the defensively-strong Jaipur Pink Panthers and the two raiders combined for 20 points. Captain Fazel Atrachali and Dharmaraj Cheralathan have come up with strong defensive performances as well to make U Mumba a force to be reckoned with in this campaign.

The big battle

Monu Goyat vs Fazel Atrachali

The two captains will face off against each other, looking to lead their respective sides to victory. One of the finds of last season’s campaign, Monu Goyat piled up 191 raid points at Patna Pirates and finished as the season’s fourth best raider. Fazel Atrachali has returned to U Mumba after leading Gujarat Fortunegiants to the final last year and is the league’s most successful international defender. Winner of the Best Defender award in Season 4, Fazel is capable of taking down any raider on his day.

Key Khiladi

Kuldeep Singh- Haryana Steelers

With a High 5 in the team’s first home game, Kuldeep Singh has fit in well in Haryana Steelers’ Left Corner. He formed a successful partnership with Sunil which proved difficult for Gujarat Fortunegiants to conquer. Their chemistry will be key for Haryana Steelers against U Mumba.

Siddharth Desai- U Mumba

Young Siddharth Desai has impressed one-and-all after scoring two Super 10s in two games against strong defences. With a return of 28 points from 2 games, Desai’s raiding ability is the key for a U Mumba team that relies heavily on its defence. The team will hope he continues in the same vein.