Mohammadreza Shadloui Had No Doubts Before the Match
There was no hesitation in Mohammadreza Shadloui before the match. Last year, he was the missing piece in the Haryana Steelers puzzle—the diamond that coach Manpreet Singh had long been looking for.
At the Pro Kabaddi League auction, Shadloui was picked for ₹2.07 crore. And this season, under the ever-passionate Manpreet Singh, the Haryana Steelers lifted their first PKL title after four attempts. The heartbreak of three previous silver medals as a coach was finally healed with this golden win—adding another shining jewel to Manpreet’s legacy.
The Steelers won in typical manner. Manpreet had built a side that suffocated opponents with relentless defense, and they executed that plan perfectly in the final. Up against PKL’s best raiding unit—Patna Pirates’ duo of Devank and Ayyan Lohchab, who had racked up 477 points between them—the Steelers defense held them to just 8 points on the night. Haryana emerged victorious with a 32-23 win, claiming the PKL Season 11 trophy in Pune.
There was no love lost between the two sides after a tense league-stage match on December 6. Manpreet Singh had called the Pirates “the weakest team,” and Shadloui came into the final brimming with confidence. Fans and neutrals were expecting a tight contest between PKL’s best raiders and the Steelers’ defense. The only problem? Haryana had come fully prepared—not just to talk big, but to back it up.
Shadloui stepped off the mat like a true champion. Confident, composed, and ready to prove he was the best. On the other side, Devank had made bold statements before the game, but Shadloui pounced immediately. Like a tiger, he grabbed Devank’s right ankle and didn’t let go—sending him out of the game on just his second raid. Ayyan followed soon after. Within minutes, the Pirates were without their top raiders—both taken down by Shadloui’s unstoppable focus. The match began to unfold exactly the way Manpreet had planned: a defensive slugfest, with their Iranian star in peak title-winning form.
Of course, in kabaddi, defense can only earn a maximum of two points at a time. That meant Patna still had chances through their raiding. And they showed that spark when Ayyan earned a two-point raid to give the Pirates an 8-7 lead.
Despite Haryana having more tackle points than raid points, they gave away easy super tackles, which allowed the Pirates to stay in the game. A five-point lead was trimmed to three, with the scoreboard reading 15-12 in Haryana’s favor at halftime.
But in the second half, the Steelers showed why they were bound to win. Sudhakar briefly closed the gap for Patna, but once Devank was revived, Haryana’s defense shut him down completely—keeping the league’s top raider scoreless on seven consecutive raids. Shadloui then took down Ayyan to stretch the lead to 19-16, drawing loud cheers from the crowd in Pune, many of whom had started rooting for the Steelers.
While Haryana’s defense was their backbone, their raiders also delivered. Vinay and Shivam Tawade stepped up when it mattered, with Shivam topping the final with nine tackle points. Vinay sealed the game in style—twisting his hips like Messi during a raid to grab two crucial points, making Patna’s defense look amateur. By then, it was 26-17, and Haryana had broken the Pirates’ resistance completely.
As the game entered its final minutes, Devank became only the fourth raider in PKL history to score 300 points in a single season—but Patna had no answers. The result was inevitable. Manpreet Singh, who had lost his voice by the end of the game, broke down in tears. So did Shivam Patare, as the magnitude of the moment sank in. “Today, kabaddi won,” Manpreet said after the final whistle. “We’ve been rewarded for our hard work.” And he couldn’t have been more right—it all started with the auction.
Last year, after losing the final to Puneri Paltan, Manpreet had told Shadloui he needed a left corner. As it turned out, Shadlouiwasthat left corner. After the final, the Iranian said, “Whichever team Shadloui is in—that team is the champion.” His all-round brilliance proved to be the missing piece.
Even though the Steelers had started the season with a loss, Manpreet stuck to his strategy. His defense-first approach finally paid off—especially with Shadloui contributing not only in defense but also in attack. He became the first player since Manjeet Chhillar in PKL history to score 50+ raid points and 50+ tackle points in a single season.
