Tamil Thalaivas face uphill task against in-form Haryana Steelers

Haryana Steelers’ strong vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 campaign next sees them run into Tamil Thalaivas on the opening day at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Saturday. Haryana Steelers have been in exceptional form and will want to move closer to securing a semi-final spot with a win. Tamil Thalaivas, meanwhile, have been looking for a reversal of fortunes since their previous nine matches and will want nothing more than to end that winless streak by beating the in-form Haryana Steelers. They have never been beaten by Haryana Steelers yet and would want to extend that record when the two teams clash on Friday.

Match 90: Tamil Thalaivas vs Haryana Steelers

Head-to-head: Tamil Thalaivas 1 – 0 Haryana Steelers. 3 Ties.

Tamil Thalaivas

Played: 15

Won: 3

Tied: 2

Lost: 10

Win Rate: 20%

Best Raider: Rahul Chaudhari

Best Defender: Manjeet Chhillar

Tamil Thalaivas currently sit on a seven-match losing streak with their previous loss to Patna Pirates coming at a comprehensive 26-point margin. Through Season 7 so far, Tamil Thalaivas have scored 432 points while conceding 488. That leaves them with the joint-highest points conceded in the season as of now. They also have the second-lowest number of tackle points scored this season with 132. The defence, led by Manjeet Chhillar, will have to put in an improved performance if they are to turn their season around. Manjeet, Tamil Thalaivas’ leading defender this season, did not manage to score a single point in the match against Patna Pirates which gave Patna Pirates’ raiders an opportunity to seize the initiative. While star raider ‘Showman’ Rahul Chaudhari is on the brink of having another 100 raid point season, it was youngster V Ajith Kumar who shone against Patna Pirates with a Super 10. A lot will be expected from the duo against Haryana Steelers – a team that has experienced defenders like Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Sunil is its folds.

Haryana Steelers

Played: 14

Won: 9

Tied: 1

Lost: 4

Win Rate: 64.28%

Best Raider: Vikash Kandola

Best Defender: Sunil

Haryana Steelers put on a spirited performance in the final minute of their previous Season 7 encounter to walk away with a tie against Jaipur Pink Panthers. However, Friday will give them a chance to push their advantage at the top of the standings further and move into the second spot with a win. Their attack has been ably led by Vikash Kandola, who has become their leading raider in just the 11 matches he has played for the team so far. However, far from being overdependent on the raider, the team has other able options like Prashanth Kumar Rai, Vinay and Naveen in attack. In defence, the team had Ravi Kumar and Sunil finish with a High 5 each in their previous encounter. This shows the quality and variety skipper Dharmaraj Cheralathan has in defence which could make things very difficult for Tamil Thalaivas’ raiders.