The Haryana Steelers defeated the Patna Pirates 43-32 after putting up a valiant fight at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday night. Shivam Patare led the charge with 15 points in what was a rerun of the season 11 championship game, and Hardeep and Jaideep also scored vital High Fives for respective teams.
The Haryana Steelers surged ahead with a barrage of tackles and raids in the first half, establishing a sizable advantage in the first quarter. Early on, Shivam appeared invincible, putting the Pirates on the defensive with a string of successful raids.
Maninder Singh also made an impression by combining cunning raids to keep the Pirates’ scoreboard moving. After appearing impregnable at first, the Steelers’ defense abruptly started to give way under constant pressure. By the halfway point, it was obvious that the momentum had changed.
Season 11’s finals and three-time champions demonstrated why they never give up. After Milan Dahiya completed a huge ALL OUT and reversed the tide with a spectacular six-point raid, the Pirates stormed back into the game. The Steelers were totally unprepared for his tenacity and acuity, which put a stop to the early momentum.
After falling behind by seven points, the Pirates rallied to cut the gap to three points at the half, with the Steelers winning 21–18. The Pirates made it apparent that they were not out of the game going into the second half of this Rivalry Week matchup, even if the Steelers still had the advantage.
The Pirates threw everything at the Steelers at the start of the second half. While Navdeep and Ankit maintained the defense, Ayan and Sudhakar M attempted to gain control with a few swift raids. But the Steelers handled the pressure well, as Rahul and Jaideep stood tall at the back to keep the Pirates from scoring easily.
Shivam Patare was the Steelers’ offensive engine once more, keeping the scoreboard moving with a successful raid that resulted in the acquisition of Sanket Sawant and Deepak. Vinay also contributed by securing Deepak and making sure the Steelers maintained control of the game.
Hardeep’s powerful tackle with just over seven minutes remaining gave the Pirates a vital ALL OUT, which was the game-changing moment. That gave the Steelers a commanding double-digit lead and turned the tide of the game in their favor.
From that point on, the Steelers set the terms, using shrewd play to maintain their lead and keep the Pirates behind. A decisive 43–32 victory was confirmed by the final whistle, highlighting Haryana’s resilience and departmental balance.
