Haryana Steelers PKL 12 squad – All you need to know; Download Pro Kabaddi League 2025 schedule PDF

The Pro Kabaddi League, now in its 12th season, will return to the four-city caravan model with a brand new structure and several rule changes. PKL 12 begins on August 29 at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Visakhapatnam.

Reigning champions Haryana Steelers will be aiming to become just the second team to successfully defend their Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) crown in the upcoming season.

SQUAD ANALYSIS

Since their Pro Kabaddi debut in 2017, the Steelers have been one of the most consistent teams in recent years and have reached the Playoffs in four of the seven seasons that they have competed in.

Strength: The Steelers’ biggest strength heading into the new season is the retention of most of their championship-winning squad. In attack, the defending champions have retained Vinay, Shivam Anil Patare and Vishal Tate, all of whom contributed raid points at crucial junctures throughout last season. With 164 points in 24 games, Vinay was the lead raider of the Steelers’ last campaign and was ably supported by Shivam, with 158 raid points in 24 matches. Vishal also chipped in with 43 raid points in 13 games.

Captain Jaideep Dahiya and right corner Rahul Sethpal will once again be part of the Steelers’ defensive unit in PKL Season 12.

Additionally, the Steelers have further strengthened their attack by roping in accomplished raider Naveen Kumar for INR 1.20 crore at the Player Auction. Having racked up 1,102 raid points in 107 games, Naveen will bring a wealth of experience to the Steelers’ setup. The seasoned raider won the PKL title with Dabang Delhi K.C. in 2022, and also bagged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in consecutive editions in Seasons 7 and 8.

Weakness: While the Steelers have assembled a formidable squad on paper, the departure of their star all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui cannot be ignored. Shadloui proved to be the driving force behind the Season 11 winners with his consistent all-round performances. The Iranian powerhouse earned the well-deserved title of MVP after he concluded the season with 82 tackle points and 57 raid points across 24 matches.

As a result, the lack of a top defender in the left corner position might be an issue for the Steelers. While the likes of Rahul Ahri, Hardeep and Sahil Narwal are there to fill that position, none of them have adequate PKL experience to guarantee success.

Furthermore, the Steelers will miss the services of their former right cover Sanjay Krishan Dhull, who has joined Bengaluru Bulls for the forthcoming season. Sanjay contributed with 57 tackle points and was one of their key players in their defence last season. Manikandan N, Zubair and Sachin are some of the options to replace Sanjay in the right cover position.

The Steelers lack genuine all-rounders in their squad, which could affect the overall balance of the side. Sahil Narwal and Ashish Narwal are the two underperforming all-rounders in the squad on paper for Season 12.

Additionally, the injury history of their star raider, Naveen Kumar, could be one of the threats heading into the new season. Naveen missed the majority of the last edition due to a knee injury. The 25-year-old could only accumulate 97 raid points in 16 matches last season, his second-lowest in a single edition since his debut in PKL Season 6. It will be interesting to see how the raider performs in Season 12.

Haryana Steelers begins its PKL 12 campaign against Bengal Warriorz on August 31, 2025 in Vizag.

DOWNLOAD FULL SCHEDULE FOR FREE

Download the PDF of Haryana Steelers’ full PKL Season 12 schedule here.

ALSO READ | PKL 2025 schedule change: Organisers announce revised dates for Chennai, Delhi legs

Published on Aug 31, 2025