PKL 12: Naveen Kumar ruled out due to injury; Big blow for Haryana Steelers

Subhajit has been with Khel Now since 2023, working on the Olympics, Kabaddi, and Hindi desks.

Published at :September 20, 2025 at 9:18 PM

Modified at :September 20, 2025 at 9:18 PM

PKL 12: Naveen Kumar ruled out due to injury; Big blow for Haryana Steelers

Naveen Kumar played only three matches in PKL 12 before getting ruled out.

Defending champions Haryana Steelers have suffered a major setback midway through the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12). Haryana’s star raider Naveen Kumar has been ruled out of the rest of PKL Season 12 due to injury.

It is noteworthy that Naveen Kumar was injured during a raid in the 21st match of this season against Bengaluru Bulls and was stretchered off. The painful incident occurred around seven and a half minutes left in the first half.

Haryana Steelers posted on social media about Naveen’s exit from the tournament, saying, “The beauty of Naveen Express is that he won everyone’s heart in such a short time. Now he is about to start his recovery journey – get well soon!”

During his raid against the Bulls, Naveen stumbled awkwardly at the right corner. He fell on his back, screaming in pain and begging the defenders not to tackle him.

Injuries hampered Naveen Kumar’s PKL career

This isn’t the first time Naveen Kumar has suffered from injury in the PKL. He also missed significant periods of the league in 2021 and 2022 while playing for Dabang Delhi due to knee and ankle injuries. This time again, he is out due to injury, and now we will not be able to see him on the mat before the next season.

Haryana Steelers bought the star raider for Rs 1.20 crore in the PKL 12 auction, and the team had high hopes from him before the injury.

However, Naveen’s performance in the first three matches of the season was subpar, scoring just 17 raid points without a Super 10. Now, his injury has dealt the team another blow.

Haryana Steelers are currently in good form in PKL 12

Haryana Steelers have performed well so far in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12, having won five of their seven matches. They currently sit third in the points table.

In the last three matches of the Jaipur leg, Haryana Steelers have registered three consecutive wins. They defeated the Gujarat Giants 40-37, Patna Pirates 43-32, and Puneri Paltan 34-30.

How did Naveen Kumar get injured?

Naveen picked up an injury on his left knee during a raid in the first half of the game against Bengaluru Bulls. The star raider fell on his back, screaming in pain, and was later stretched off the mat.

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Subhajit Chakraborty

Subhajit Chakraborty is a sports journalist and Content Associate at Khel Now. A graduate of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Delhi University, he pursues his passion for sports through writing, editing, and on-camera work. A devoted cricket fan, he admires Virat Kohli and passionately supports RCB.