PKL 9: Haryana Steelers full squad for the upcoming season

The northern outfit will look to bounce back in the new campaign.

The JSW Group franchise Haryana Steelers has had a roller-coaster ride in the Pro Kabaddi League. They made the playoffs in their debut season in 2017 but finished at the bottom of Zone A the following year. They were knocked out by U Mumba in the eliminator in 2019 but displayed a lot of positives under coach Rakesh Kumar.

They have made 10 new signings for Season 9 and have strengthened in all departments with seven raiders, two defenders and one all-rounder. This is how they stack up after the auctions:

Raiders

Manjeet

The top scorer for Tamil Thalaivas was highly sought-after in the auctions. He earned 159 raid points last season, functioning as the team’s sole all-rounder. The 25-year-old was their top signing in the auctions, going for Rs. 80 lakhs. He will take over from Vikash Kandola as the lead raiding figure for the Steelers. Manjeet has been a consistent performer over the years for Patna Pirates and Puneri Paltan and also is a part of the Services squad.

Vinay

Vinay was retained as an elite player for Rs. 25 lakhs, being a part of the Haryana Steelers for the fourth straight season. He finished in the top 15 raiders list after scoring 125 raid points in his debut season. He has notched up six super raids and three Super 10s and will target having an injury-free season.

Rakesh Narwal

The left-raider has been a veteran of the league over the years, playing for five different franchises. He returns to the Haryana Steelers after turning out for the Gujarat Giants last year, posting 73 raid points from 16 matches.

Meetu

Another solid pre-auction retention, Meetu Sharma had a very consistent season, earning 75 raid points from 16 matches with three Super 10s. He adds to the raiding riches of the Steelers, who look poised for a good season on paper.

K Prapanjan

Another PKL journeyman calls Haryana his home, his sixth different team in six years. Despite his value dropping from ₹71 lakhs to ₹10 lakhs, Prapanjan has proven to be an effective left raider and can add experience in abundance.

Sushil Gulia

The right raider made his debut for Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 7, winning 21 raid points from 48 raids. He had a very subdued second season, making only one appearance. In between, he has been a valuable part of the Ordinance Factory, Varandaon.

Mohammad Esmaeil Maghsoudlou Mahalli

The veteran raider returns to the Steelers, having previously scored 52 points from 20 matches. The bonus specialist could be a valuable addition off the bench to change the course of games. He has also been a fierce tackler, averaging 0.5 successful tackles per match and three super tackles.

Manish Gulia

The left-right raider from the renowned Narwal Kabaddi Academy was impressed during the academy trials. He will hope to get a taste of some PKL action.

Lovepreet Singh: The raider from Punjab has taken the junior leagues by storm, more with his defense than his raiding abilities.

Defenders

Joginder Singh Narwal

The ‘Takedown Tiger’ is still going strong at 36. He and his son Vinay Narwal became the first father-son duo to represent a team. The left corner captained Bengal Warriors till the finals, bagging 31 tackle points from 19 matches.

Jaideep

The left cover made waves with his fearless displays in his debut PKL season, nabbing 66 tackle points from 22 matches and finishing second in the total tackle points standings. He was very shrewd at retention at 20 Lakhs and also had a successful assist rate of 57%.

Amirhossein Bastami

The biggest defensive purchase on Day 2 at Rs. 65.10 lakhs. Bastami was Iran’s captain during the inaugural Junior Kabaddi World Championships title and was the cornerstone of the team’s unbeaten run to the finals.

Ankit Dhull

The defender starred during the Gotegaon Championships, scoring 11 tackle points from 16 tackles in two matches. He was retained as an elite player.

Mohit Nandal

The 22-year-old has a much-feared ankle hold and made his debut in Season 8, scoring points in 15 matches. He was retained as an elite player.

Naveen

Retained as a new young player

Sunny

Retained as a new young player. He has represented Patna Pirates and Services

Monu

Retained as a new young player

Harsh

Retained as a new young player

All-rounders

Nitin Rawal

A rare right-raider/left corner who burst onto the scene for the Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 6 and 7, Nitin Rawal was a shadow of his former self last season. A very capable player on his day, he will look to capture his past form with a new franchise.