Haryana Steelers made their Pro Kabaddi debut in season 5 as the JSW Sports group made its first foray into kabaddi after owning teams in cricket (Delhi Capitals) and football (Bengaluru FC).
The fortunes of the franchise, however, have been quite lean. After a third place finish in Zone A in their first season, the Steelers were bottom of the pile in season six. After qualifying for the playoffs in season 7, consecutive seventh-place finishes have meant that the team from Haryana has not made the playoffs for two seasons in a row now.
In addition, they have never made it past the first round of the playoffs in their two qualification seasons.
BET on Pro Kabaddi Season 10 here!
As the Haryana Steelers look to take another step towards the PKL semifinals, The Sporting News analyses their team for Season 10:
Haryana Steelers full squad for PKL Season 10
Raiders:
- Chandran Ranjit
- K Prapanjan
- Siddharth Desai
- Vinay
- Shivam Patare (Left Raider)
- Vishal Tate (Right Raider)
- Jayasoorya NS (Left Raider)
- Ghanshyam Magar
- Hasan Balbool
Defenders:
- Hardeep (Left Corner)
- Jaideep Dahiya (Left Cover)
- Rahul Sethpal (Right Corner)
- Ravindra Chouhan (Right Corner)
- Mohit Nandal (Right Cover)
- Monu Hooda (Right Corner)
- Naveen Kundu (Left Corner)
- Harsh (Left Cover)
- Sunny Sehrawat (Right Cover)
- Mohit (Left Corner)
- Himanshu Choudhary (Left Corner)
All Rounders:
- Ashish
MORE: Can U Mumba regain lost glory in Season 10?
Who is the head coach of Haryana Steelers for season 10?
Manpreet Singh is the current head coach of Haryana Steelers. He was appointed in June 2022, after the Steelers missed out on the playoffs by just two points under Rakesh Kamer. His first season in charge ended exactly the same, though as Haryana once again missed out on the playoffs by a margin of two points.
Manpreet has had a superb record as player, winning gold at the Asian Games in 2002 and 2006 with India and captaining Patna Pirates to the 2016 PKL title. As coach of the Gujarat Giants, he led them to second-placed finishes in 2017 and 2018.
MORE: Pro Kabaddi Auction 2023: Full list of auctioned players
Who are the Haryana Steelers players to watch out for in Season 10?
Siddharth Desai: Nickamed 'Bahubali', Siddharth Desai is one of the PKL's most exciting players. He was the fifth-most expensive player in the 2023 auction, as Haryana snapped him up for Rs 1 crore.
Now 31, Desai made a name for himself in his debut PKL season in 2018 with U Mumba as he became the fastest rookie ever to reach 200 raid points. With a wealth of experience behind him now as well, it is a show of faith from the Steelers to name him captain for the upcoming season.
Rahul Sethpal: In contrast to Desai's experience, the Steelers' other major buy in the 2023 auction was Rahul Sethpal, brought in to provide defensive cover for the side. Playing mainly as a right corner defender in his first two PKL seasons with U Mumba, he boasts an impressive 1.5 tackle points per match.
MORE: Can Jaipur Pink Panthers defend their title in PKL Season 10?
Chandran Ranjit: Chandran Ranjit was the Steelers' second-most expensive purchase in the season 10 auction, as the franchise shelled out Rs 62 lakhs for the raider. Ranjit has been part of the PKL since season 1, when he played for the Telugu Titans. Though not the most clinical raider, Ranjit is shrewd and experienced, and could form an impressive partnership with Siddharth Desai.
What are the strengths of Haryana Steelers ahead of Season 10?
Mix of youth and experience: By going big on Siddharth Desai and Chandran Ranjit, the Steelers have ensured that there are a couple of experienced players in the squad alongside K Prapanjan, to mix with their talented youngsters like Vinay, Jaideep Dahiya and Rahul Sethpal.
Strong Defense: Last season, the Steelers ranked seventh out of 12 teams for tackle points, even as Jaideep Dahiya and Mohit Nandal finished in the top 20 among players. By adding Rahul Sethpal to their squad, one would expect them to improve massively on this front.
MORE: When is Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 starting? Schedule, Venues, and Teams
What are the weaknesses of Haryana Steelers ahead of Season 10?
Uncertainty over raiders: Ahead of season 10, Haryana released their top two raiders from 2022, Manjeet and Meetu Sharma. Neither one was bought back in the auction, but the team did manage to add Siddharth Desai and Chandran Ranjit. While the overall pedigree of these two players cannot be questioned, replacing two pillars of the attack in a single season can sometimes prove dicey.
Lack of squad depth: While the Steelers' first team looks a strong propsect, there are still question marks over the quality of other squad players such as Shivam Patare, Vishal Tate and Hasan Balbool. Haryana have taken a gamble on their potential, but will need at least one of them to step up.
All in all, the Steelers look set to launch another assault on the top six. While the first goal will be to qualify for the playoffs, they will look to go one further and make the semifinals and maybe even the final.
Make your predictions on Haryana Steelers and other teams here: Find the latest odds and win on all the latest Kabaddi action here!
