PKL-12: Red Machine Arjun Deshwal Back in Form, Tamil Thalaivas Defeat Haryana Steelers by 12 Points to Avenge Previous Loss

Thanks to an outstanding performance by red machine Arjun Deshwal (22 points), Tamil Thalaivas defeated defending champions Haryana Steelers 45-33 in a one-sided contest during the 62nd match of the 12th season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) held at SDAT Multi-Purpose Indoor Stadium on Friday.

This marks Haryana Steelers’ third consecutive loss of the season. With this victory, Thalaivas also avenged their previous defeat to the defending champions.

For Tamil Thalaivas, captain Arjun Deshwal scored just three points in the first half but made a powerful comeback in the second half, finishing with a total of 22 points in the match. For Haryana Steelers, Shivam Patare and Jaideep contributed five points each.

With this win, Tamil Thalaivas now have five victories in 11 matches, earning 10 points and moving up to the eighth position. Haryana Steelers, meanwhile, suffered their fifth loss in 11 matches and their third consecutive defeat, remaining at the sixth spot.

The home team started strong in front of their fans, keeping the score tied at 7-7 until the seventh minute. Haryana Steelers then made two super tackles to take a 10-7 lead in the first ten minutes.

Arjun Deshwal gradually found his rhythm for Thalaivas, keeping his team just two points behind by the 15th minute, while Steelers continued to score and extended their lead to four points. Haryana captain Jaideep completed his high-five during this period, helping his team lead 15-13 by halftime.

In the second half, Thalaivas quickly leveled the score at 15-15. In the very next raid, they all-out the Steelers and took the lead. By the 28th minute, Arjun Deshwal scored a three-point super raid to extend the lead to 25-17. Shortly after, Thalaivas all-out the Steelers again, pushing the score to 29-19, completing Deshwal’s seventh Super 10 of the season. By the 30th minute, Thalaivas had an 11-point lead at 31-20.

In the final 10 minutes, Deshwal continued his dominance, scoring his third all-out of the match in the 32nd minute, making it 39-21. Two minutes later, Vishal scored a super raid for Haryana, adding four points.

By the 36th minute, Thalaivas led by 14 points, effectively closing the door on Haryana’s comeback chances. Although the Steelers all-out the Thalaivas for the first time in the match, reducing the lead to 11 points, Thalaivas maintained their advantage to secure a convincing 45-33 victory.