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Haryana Steelers reached their maiden Pro Kabaddi League final last season, where they lost to Puneri Paltan. With the aim of winning their first title in PKL 11, the Steelers have retained the majority of their players from last season's starting seven ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction.
The likes of Shivam Patare, Vinay Tevthia, Rahul Sethpal, Mohit Nandal, and Jaideep Dahiya will continue representing the Haryana Steelers in PKL 11. However, coach Manpreet Singh has let go of left corner defender Mohit Kaler and star raider Siddharth Desai ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction.
The team also needs some solid backup options. In this listicle, we will look at the three players the Haryana Steelers should target to form a stellar squad for the Pro Kabaddi 2024/25 tournament.
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#1 Haryana Steelers may use the FBM card for Mohit Kaler
All 12 teams have three FBM cards each at the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction. Haryana Steelers' decision to release Mohit Kaler before the auction raised quite a few eyebrows because he earned 47 points last season.
He formed a solid combination with the rest of the defense. Considering the importance of gelling well as a unit in kabaddi's defense department, coach Manpreet Singh should have retained Mohit Kaler. Nevertheless, the defender is available in the auction pool, and Haryana should try to buy him back.
The quartet of Rahul Sethpal, Mohit Nandal, Jaideep Dahiya, and Mohit Kaler did a fantastic job for the Haryana-based franchise last season. Perhaps, they can continue in the same vein this year as well.
#2 Vishal Bhardwaj
In case the Haryana Steelers fail to re-sign Mohit Kaler, they should look for other options in the left corner category. Experienced defender Vishal Bhardwaj can be a solid left corner option for the Steelers.
Bhardwaj has enormous PKL experience under his belt, having played for so many franchises as well as for Team India. The left corner defender earned 36 tackle points last season, showing that he can still compete with the best.
It will be interesting to see if the Steelers chase Bhardwaj at the auction. The other top names in the left corner category, Fazel Atrachali, Mohammadreza Shadloui and Sandeep Dhull, are likely to fetch higher prices. Haryana can probably sign Bhardwaj for a bargain price.
#3 Vikash Kandola
Vikash Kandola was the backbone of Haryana's raiding attack for many seasons. He left the franchise after Season 8 and joined the Bengaluru Bulls, where he did not achieve much success. The Bulls have released Kandola ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction.
Although Haryana have Shivam Patare and Vinay Tewathia in their squad, they should target Vikash Kandola. He has done a brilliant job for Haryana in the past. Perhaps, returning to the franchise where he has played his best kabaddi can help Vikash regain his touch as well.
Also, Haryana have released Siddharth Desai from their squad, and they need an experienced raider. Vikash Kandola can fill in for Desai if the Steelers sign him.
