“NAVEEN KUMAR PLAYED LIKE A LEADER AND MADE A REMARKABLE COMEBACK”: RISHANK DEVADIGA ON HARYANA STEELERS’ STAR RAIDER
Day 6 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 witnessed thrilling encounters with Puneri Paltan securing a commanding win over Bengal Warriorz with teamwork and strong defense. Haryana Steelers also showcased resilience and strategic brilliance to edge past U Mumba in a closely contested match.
Speaking exclusively on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga highlighted Naveen Kumar’s leadership and the crucial support from coach Manpreet Singh that contributed to Haryana Steelers’ comeback victory against U Mumba:
“We often talk about Naveen Kumar; he is a key player for the team. What made a significant difference was the support from Manpreet Singh. Although Naveen’s form was not evident in the first match, he took responsibility and led impressively in the second. Although he is the third raider in the team, today he played like a leader and made a remarkable comeback. Manpreet continuously guided him on when and where to score, and Naveen executed it well. His use of the ‘super raid’ made it difficult to contain him, which ultimately contributed to our victory today.”
On the need for Haryana Steelers to strengthen their defense:
“There are promising signs, particularly for Haryana Steelers, as all three of their raiders are performing well. However, their defence still faces challenges that need attention. The ‘Naveen Express’ exemplifies the critical trait of presence of mind, which is essential in any game.”
On what gave Haryana Steelers the winning edge:
“U Mumba was prepared for the tiebreaker, and we cannot say otherwise. However, Rohit Raghav made a critical error early on by initiating a tackle, which allowed Haryana Steelers to score three points. Those three points gave Haryana an important edge. If even one point had gone differently, the match could have been much closer. Rohit’s early gamble ultimately tilted the advantage in favour of Haryana Steelers, which they maintained till the end.”
On Puneri Paltan’s cohesive team effort:
“Pune played exceptionally well as a cohesive unit today. Kabaddi is a team game, and Puneri Paltan clearly demonstrated how teamwork drives success. Particularly, their three raiders—Aslam Inamdar, Aditya Shinde, and Pankaj Mohite—worked in unison to benefit the entire team. Coupled with a strong defense, this collective effort makes Puneri Paltan a formidable team.”
On Puneri Paltan’s strong defense:
“When it comes to their defense, Gurdeep stood out with his presence of mind, knowing exactly when to attack. Manprit also came in with several raids, but Gurdeep was able to effectively stop them. Both, Gurdeep and Vishal Bhardwaj played well together, achieving five points. I was very impressed with Gurdeep’s performance nonetheless.”
