Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Haryana Steelers team to play home matches in Sonepat

According to a Star India official close to Sportskeeda, the Haryana Steelers team will play their home games in Sonepat for the upcoming season. The stadium is reportedly going to be announced in a few days as well.

The Haryana Steelers, owned by the JSW Group, will make their debut in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 5. Parth Jindal, the Director of JSW Sports had previously stated how happy he was to own a team in Haryana. “We couldn’t have asked for a more apt place than Haryana to field a team out of, given is where our family hails from and that it has always been a hotbed for athletes who have gone on to do the nation proud,” he had said.

The team has appointed coach Ranbir Singh Khokkar who is an astute choice, with over 35 years of coaching experience at the highest level under his belt. He has previously led India to gold medals at the 1990 Asian Games and the 2013 Asian Indoor Games.

The Haryana Steelers have a pretty solid lineup after having went about the auction in a cunning way, not over-spending while at the same time picking up proven players at the right prices. Their priority pick was the ankle-hold specialist Surender Nada, a defender that every opposition raider will have to be wary of. Nada has played for U Mumba and represented the Bengaluru Bulls last season. He has been a revelation in the left corner and was part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the World Cup.

Surinder Nada along with Mohit Chhillar will form a formidable defensive pairing

The team has also picked up Mohit Chhillar for Rs 46.50 lakhs this time around. Mohit Chhillar was one of the key players for the dominant U Mumba side that reached three consecutive finals in the first three seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League, winning the title in Season two. He played for a relatively weak Bengaluru Bulls side last year but individually speaking, the right corner had a blistering season.

To complement the team’s defence, the Steelers have also brought in raider Wazir Singh, the former Puneri Paltan skipper – whom they picked up for Rs 44 lakhs. Other big signings for the new franchise are Khomsan Thongkham, who was one of the costliest foreign players to be picked on the first day for Rs 20.4 lakhs. Hometown pick Deepak Kumar Dahiya, was bought for only Rs 12 lakhs.

Overall, the team has a pretty balanced look with the defence looking really strong and the team has a great chance of making it to the semi-finals if the big stars deliver. The Steelers will hope to win matches at their new home stadium and become Pro Kabaddi League champions in their debut year.