PANCHKULA: Haryana Steelers' defeat to Puneri Paltan in Panchkula on Monday has settled things in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10, setting the stage for the Eliminators, which will be played in Hyderabad next week. As per the schedule, Dabang Delhi K.C. will take on Patna Pirates in Eliminator 1, while the Haryana Steelers will face Gujarat Giants in Eliminator 2 at the G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium, Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
Both matches will be played on February 26, the opening day of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 Playoffs, which will continue till March 1, 2024.
The winner of Eliminator 1 will be up against the table toppers in Semifinal 1 and the winner of Eliminator 2 will take on the second-placed side in Semifinal 2 on Feb 28. Puneri Paltan and Jaipur Pink Panthers have already confirmed their places in the semifinals. However, their final spots in the standings are yet to be confirmed with Puneri Paltan set to take on U.P. Yoddhas in their last league stage match on Wednesday.
Speaking about taking on Gujarat Giants in Eliminator 2, Haryana Steelers' head coach Manpreet Singh said, "We've defeated Gujarat Giants in both of our league-stage encounters. But it depends on how both teams play on the day. We'll definitely try to replicate our performance in the Eliminator match and try to win the match."
The Haryana Steelers' Captain Jaideep Dahiya said, "It doesn't mean that if we defeated them twice then we'll surely win the third one. We have to play well; whichever team performs well will win. We'll correct our mistakes from our last match before our Eliminator match."
Meanwhile, the Puneri Paltan head coach, B.C Ramesh has his eyes on the top spot following their victory against the Steelers, "It was important to win this match because we lost the previous game against them earlier in the season. We gave the new boys a chance and they won the game, which is very good. This game was an important win for the top spot.”