Vizag (Andhra Pradesh) [India], September 6 : Former PKL player Rishank Devadiga lavished praise on Naveen Kumar after his remarkable efforts helped Haryana Steelers stage a stellar comeback to snatch victory from UP Yoddhas at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag on Friday evening in a thrilling Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 encounter.
Rahul Ahri and Rahul Sethpal registered High Fives for the defending champions, while Mayank Saini also contributed to the team to help them register a 37-32 win.
While speaking exclusively and dissecting the game on KBD Live, JioStar, former PKL player Rishank Devadiga hailed Naveen Kumar's impactful leadership and crucial raid points for the Haryana Steelers' win.
"I initially thought UP Yoddhas would take the win, but credit must go to Naveen Kumar for his leadership and impactful performance. Both Rahul and Mayank contributed significantly, especially in defence. While Haryana led with tackles, UP Yoddhas excelled in raids," Devadiga said.
"Naveen and Mayank secured crucial raid points, supported by a solid defence, which ultimately worked in Haryana Steelers' favour. Although the team struggled initially, Naveen rose to the occasion, making key plays and neutralising top defenders Sumit and Hitesh, sealing the victory for the Steelers", he added.
Devadiga also shared some insights into how Rahul Ahri has grown into his position as the left corner, playing a crucial role in his team's victory.
He said, "We were always curious about who would take the left-corner position for Haryana Steelers after Shadloui. Rahul Ahri did that in the first match, but he didn't perform well. We saw some improvement in the second match, but against the Yoddhas, Rahul made that position his own. Whenever he got a chance, he consistently stopped raiders like Gagan Gowda and Bhavani Rajput. He delivered an outstanding performance."
Also shedding some light on UP Yoddhas' performance on the night, Devadiga elaborated, "UP Yoddhas were unable to maintain control of the game. Initially, their raiders provided some momentum, but the defence did not deliver as expected. Captain Sumit's leadership, which had been notable in the last two matches, was absent on the mat."
"The team's raid distribution was off, and the defence lacked cohesion. While Sumit showed some promise in the first 10 minutes, the subsequent phases called for substitutions to change the dynamics. Bringing in players like Guman Singh could have helped. Although they had moments of momentum, ultimately, UP Yoddhas lost their grip", he concluded.