Every season of the Pro Kabaddi League is a roller coaster ride and this season has not been any different for the Haryana Steelers. It has been an honour for me to lead an inspiring bunch of players on the mat throughout the season so far. We were in major trouble when we lost three matches in a row at the start of the tournament, but the way the side has fought back has been incredible. Grit and determination is far more important than talent in sport and the players in the Haryana team have shown their mettle in this competition. It was magnificent to defeat Patna Pirates, Bengaluru Bulls and UP Yoddha in consecutive matches. The side gained a lot of confidence after triumphing in tough contests.
After performing well in the first match against Puneri Paltan, we couldn’t play to our potential in the next three matches. And then we changed our strategy. Our fortunes changed from thereon. We had issues in our defense unit. The coaches and the team management thought about which player will be most suitable in which position. Thereafter, we had our strategies in place for the raiders of the opposition team. The better the defense does, the better the team will perform.
Haryana’s raider Vikash Kandola has been a big boost for the team. We missed him terribly in the first three matches. The team’s spirits were uplifted after his return. He has been in tremendous form and he will continue to contribute to the side’s victories in the upcoming matches. Vikash has been our top raider with 58 points in 6 matches.
Along with Vikash, it has been brilliant to see the way our youngsters and especially Vinay (raider) perform in this season. The 19-year-old Sunil has also made vital contributions for the team in the defense set-up.
However, the Haryana Steelers’ main advantage this season has been our coach Rakesh Kumar. Our coach is also young, who was playing until last year. He has a good knowledge about how much a certain player should practice and how far to push a certain athlete. He decides the amount of practice for each player. Rakesh knows what is best for each athlete to perform at his best.
The Haryana Steelers are in a good position in the standings, but we have to keep believing in ourselves to win games. The most important aspect in a league format is momentum. Therefore, once we win a match, we should ensure that our performance doesn't drop in the next game. Mistakes happened, but the team is prepared to correct each of its mistakes and move forward in the tournament. The team dissects its performance after each game to play even better in the upcoming matches.
The team has put up a great performance in the season so far. The management isn’t looking too far ahead as yet. We are aiming to qualify for the knockout stages at the moment and then we’ll think about the semi-finals of the tournament.
(The writer is captain of Pro Kabaddi League side Haryana Steelers)