Hyderabad: The Haryana Steelers were boosted by the return of captain Jaideep, and that showed on the as they dominated proceedings against the Dabang Delhi K.C. at the GMCB Indoor Stadium, in Gachibowli, in Hyderabad. The Haryana Steelers won the contest with a scoreline of 41-34, with the Mohammadreza Shadloui scoring 10 points and Shivam Patare adding 8 to the cause. For the Dabang Delhi K.C. it was Ashu Malik who top scored with 13 points.
The Haryana Steelers had a quick start in the first half. While Ashu Malik started off proceedings with an early point for the Dabang Delhi K.C., it was the Haryana Steelers who had the better of their opponents in the initial minutes, as they raced away to a 4-point lead in what was a cautious start from both teams.
For the Haryana Steelers, it was Shivam Patare doing the chunk of the heavy lifting early on, as captain Jaideep, who was playing his first game of the season, settled in nicely within the first ten minutes of the game. With just over 5 minutes left in the first half, Mohammadreza Shadloui pulled off a stunning three-point Super Raid to further propel the Haryana Steelers ahead. The Haryana Steelers clinched an ALL OUT with 2 minutes left on the clock, and went into the half-time break with a massive 11-point lead with the score reading 24-13.
After the break, the Haryana Steelers looked to build on their lead, however the Dabang Delhi K.C. side started to fightback with the likes of Ashu Malik, Naveen Kumar and Vikrant picking up crucial points. However, a couple of Super Tackles from the Haryana Steelers defence helped them restore the 11-point advantage, with just over 10 minutes to go in the contest. At this point, Ashu Malik was leading the charge for the Dabang Delhi K.C. and the likes of Shivam Patare, Mohammadreza Shadloui and Jaideep were ensuring that the Haryana Steelers were in the ascendency.
A little after the 30-minute mark, Ashu Malik inflicted an ALL OUT on the Haryana Steelers, and completed his Super 10, to bring the Dabang Delhi K.C. right back into the contest. However, soon after that the Haryana Steelers upped the ante, and thwarted all hopes of a comeback for the Dabang Delhi K.C. side. Eventually, the Haryana Steelers walked off with their second consecutive win of the tournament.
