In the opening game on Monday, the Haryana Steelers defeated the Gujarat Giants 40-37 after a fierce battle at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur. Shivam Patare recorded nine raid points and three tackle points, while Vinay got eight raid points to complete the Haryana Steelers’ team performance. Captain Jaideep Dahiya led the way with a high five. The game ended with the Haryana Steelers recording five Super Tackles, which ultimately determined the outcome.
Rakesh Sungroya scored fourteen points and recorded a Super 10 for the Gujarat Giants, but it was in vain.
Both teams’ raiders showed intent early on in the match, which got off to an aggressive start. After a brawl between Vinay and Rakesh Sungro, the Gujarat Giants took a two-point lead when Shubham Kumar tackled Shivam Patare during a Do-or-Die raid.
Rakesh extended the Giants’ lead with five points in six minutes, continuing the offensive momentum. Vinay, meanwhile, scored the opening four points to keep the Haryana Steelers in the game.
Sahil Narwal’s Super Tackle helped the reigning champions show tenacity and cut the deficit to 7-6. The Steelers took the lead when Jaideep Dahiya and Shivam Patare added Super Tackles of their own. But the Gujarat Giants’ Lucky Sharma responded immediately with a tackle, capping an exciting first quarter at 11–8.
After that, Himanshu Singh joined the Giants’ activity, helping Rakesh Sungroya reach the 500 raid points milestone in the PKL. After Lucky Sharma tackled Jaideep Dahiya to give the Steelers an ALL OUT, the Jaivir Sharma-led team finally tied the game at 14–14.
Despite the loss, Haryana rallied swiftly, as Shivam Patare’s strong run gave them a three-point lead again. They finished the half brilliantly at 25–20, extending their lead to five points and recording an ALL OUT of their own.
Nitin Panwar gave Gujarat Giants the perfect start to the second half by tackling Vinay, while Rakesh Sungroya effectively finished his Super 10 in twelve raid attempts. By keeping his team within striking distance and reducing the deficit to three points, Rakesh kept up that momentum.
The reigning champions quickly closed the door whenever the Giants attempted a comeback. Jaideep Dahiya completed his High Five after Rahul Ahri secured a Super Tackle, maintaining the Haryana Steelers’ lead at 32-27.
The Giants were still in the hunt with eight minutes remaining when Mohammadreza Shadloui opened his account with a tackle on Shivam Patare during a Do-or-Die raid. After a while, Himanshu Singh’s tackle tied the score at 33-33.
But in the final moments, the Steelers maintained their composure. With just two minutes left, a defensive combination of Rahul Sethpal, Shivam Patare, and Sahil Narwal restored a four-point lead. Shridhar Kadam cut the deficit to two points with a multi-point raid, but the Giants refused to back down.
The Steelers used their expertise to prevent the Giants from making a late comeback as the clock was running out. After a fiercely contested match, the PKL11 champs prevailed thanks to Vinay’s last touches.
