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The Haryana Steelers will kick off their Pro Kabaddi 2021 campaign against three-time champions Patna Pirates on December 23 at the Sheraton Grand Whitefield in Bengaluru.
The Steelers joined the Pro Kabaddi League ahead of the fifth season. They have played three seasons and qualified for the playoffs twice.
In their debut season, the Haryana-based franchise finished third in Zone A. However, they lost to the Patna Pirates in the Eliminator match.
The following season, the Haryana Steelers took the wooden spoon home. They attained the last spot in the Zone A points table, registering only six wins in 22 matches.
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The Steelers came back stronger in 2019 and won 13 out of their 22 fixtures to finish fifth. However, they lost to U Mumba in the Eliminator and crashed out.
Ahead of Pro Kabaddi 2021, the Steelers have added quite a few match-winners to their squad. They had retained only four players from their PKL 7 squad heading into the auction.
Before Haryana start their Pro Kabaddi 2021 tournament against Patna Pirates, here's a look at their predicted playing 7 for the competition.
Left Corner - Surender Nada
Surender Nada is the biggest match-winner present in the Haryana Steelers' defensive unit. The 34-year-old has won the Pro Kabaddi League with U Mumba before.
Overall, the ankle hold specialist has 222 tackle points to his name, including 19 High 5s.
Left In - Vikash Khandola
Vikash Khandola will be the lead raider of the Haryana Steelers team. He has performed exceptionally well for the franchise over the last two seasons.
The running hand touch specialist has earned 433 points in 55 PKL matches so far.
Left Cover - Rajesh Narwal
Former PKL champion Rajesh Narwal joined the Haryana Steelers at the Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction.
The veteran all-rounder did not play the previous season, but he has 397 points to his name in 92 PKL games. Narwal has scored four Super 10s and three High 5s.
For the latest PKL points table, click here.
Center - Rohit Gulia
Former Gujarat Giants skipper Rohit Gulia was the most expensive signing made by the Haryana Steelers at the PKL Auction 2021. The all-rounder received a massive bid worth INR 83 lakh from the Steelers.
It will be interesting to see how the 23-year-old performs for his new franchise.
Right Cover - Ravi Kumar
Right cover defender Ravi Kumar had his best PKL season in 2019. The 28-year-old scored 52 tackle points, including four High 5s.
Kumar will be keen to continue in the same vein in the upcoming season.
Right In - Vinay
New Young Player Vinay was one of four names retained by the Haryana Steelers ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction.
The youngster showed a lot of promise last season and scored 125 raid points. He will be the team's support raider.
Right Corner - Shrikant Tewthia
All-rounder Shrikant Tewthia is likely to play in the right corner position for the Haryana Steelers this year.
Shrikant missed the previous edition of the PKL but will aim to cement his place in the Haryana playing 7 by performing well at the right corner position. Tewthia has scored 79 tackle points in his PKL career so far.
