Jaipur Pink Panthers defeated defending champions Haryana Steelers in Play-in 1 of Pro Kabaddi 2025. They beat them 30-27 on Saturday, October 25. The Panthers advanced to the Eliminator.
Jaipur Pink Panthers head coach Narender Redhu reflected on the match. He expressed that the team had prepared for Jaideep Dahiya and Rahul Sethpal, Haryana’s key defenders.
“Our plan was to avoid Jaideep and Rahul who are their main defenders. And we did that. It definitely builds confidence when young players perform so well. We will benefit from this match. It was clear that they have a good defense and if they took the lead, our raiders would have to try harder. So we planned to keep our defense tight. Our defense did well and we took the lead and we didn’t let it go,” he said during the the post-match press conference.
The Jaipur Pink Panthers have a new team with several youngsters this season. However, they didn’t just make the playoffs. Narender Redhu said he was happy with the way the team played.
“We will celebrate this victory. They are all new players who are playing for the first time but have done very well. We will plan for the next match tomorrow.”
Panthers will face Patna Pirates in Eliminator 1 on Sunday, October 26.
Manpreet Singh reflects on defeat against Jaipur Pink Panthers
The defeat against Jaipur Pink Panthers meant the end of the season for the defending champions Haryana Steelers. Reflecting on their defeat, head coach Manpreet Singh said:
“We can’t say we made any mistakes. They played very well. They played better. We couldn’t play well. After halftime we had to take more risks. We will have to work on our mistakes for next season.”
Haryana Steelers also missed out on raider Naveen Kumar. He only played four games this season before being ruled out due to injury. Manpreet Singh said Naveen was in rehab. However, whether or not he continues with the team next season will depend on the raider himself, he added.
“Naveen is preparing and getting fit. We will have to see how he performs in the nationals. But whether he wants to participate in the auction or stay with us is up to him. If he is fit, we would like to keep him. But at the moment he is in rehab.”
The Steelers will aim for a better and stronger comeback next season.
Edited by Rishab Vm
