The biggest and most important clash of PKL Season 11 is upon us, as the Haryana Steelers and the Patna Pirates square off in the Final on Sunday, at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune. While the Haryana Steelers’ juggernaut is looking to right the wrongs of previous finals, and clinch their maiden PKL title, the Patna Pirates, who are the most decorated team in the competition, are on course for a fourth crown.
Coached by Manpreet Singh and captained by Jaideep, the Haryana Steelers have looked like one of the most formidable sides through the course of PKL Season 11, especially with the Show Stopper Mohammadreza Shadloui grabbing the headlines on more than a few occasions. Mohammadreza Shadloui, who won the PKL title in Season 10, will be up against one of his former teams.
“The PKL Season 11 final is a very big stage, and even though I am playing against my former team, but that won’t add any pressure or make it too different for me. My focus is completely on winning the trophy again with this champion team. We are all very hungry for this title,” said Mohammadreza Shadloui.
The likes of Vinay, Shivam Patare, and Rahul Sethpal have been instrumental as well in the Haryana Steelers’ success story this year. Incidentally, the Haryana Steelers had made the final in Season 10 as well, but faltered at the final hurdle against the Puneri Paltan.
“Last year, we lost the final, and then we went back to training and have worked very hard with our team, so that we can eliminate those errors this season. The Haryana Steelers team have put in lot of effort in the off-season and we are hopeful of winning the title in the final. The rivalry with the Patna Pirates is quite intense, but it’s not just them, whoever is on the other side of the centre-line, they are our enemies, and we will go all out to win the PKL title,” said Jaideep.
In the other corner, the Patna Pirates, who have won the PKL title thrice in their history, are hoping to put another star on their jersey at the end of this season. Narender Redhu’s young guns – Devank Dalal and Ayan Lohchab – have made heads turn with some incredible individual performances. Ahead of the Final, Devank, who is the top scoring raider in PKL Season 11, is also approaching a personal milestone, that of 300 raid points in the season. If Devank can achieve the 300-point mark, he will be the third raider to do so in one season after Pawan Sehrawat and Pardeep Narwal in the history of the competition.
“I feel very good that the coach and the Patna Pirates management have shown so much faith in me throughout the season, and that I have been able to repay the faith with good performances. I have been able to score all these points only because my teammates have supported me at every stage, and in every game this season,” said Devank, the league’s most prolific raider in Season 11.
The Patna Pirates, who focussed on building a team around young and upcoming players this season, finished fourth on the points table, and came into the final after exciting wins against U Mumba, and Dabang Delhi K.C. in Eliminator 2 and the Semi-Finals respectively. However, the Patna Pirates have not won against the Haryana Steelers this season, yet. And that is precisely what Devank and Ayan will be keen to execute, under the leadership of Narender Redhu and captain Ankit.
“Our dream is to become the champion in PKL Season 11, and whoever plays well and holds their nerve on the big day will come away as the winners. It is a massive final, so there will be intensity, and it will be a heated contest for sure. And even though we have lost twice against the Haryana Steelers before this in the league stage, it won’t play on our minds, because the day of the final is a new one,” said Ankit.
Throughout the season, the Haryana Steelers’ defence has been toughest to breakdown, whereas, the Patna Pirates’ raiders have outperformed almost every attacking unit in the competition. As the curtains come down on 2024, the country’s biggest sporting spectacle is all set for an absolute classic.
The PKL Season 11 Final will commence from 8pm on December 29, and before that there will be an FMX Showcase Event at 6pm as well.
