PKL 8: ‘Need to work in tandem’- Star raider Rohit Gulia on Haryana Steelers' shaky season and dealing with expectations

Haryana Steelers have endured a tough start to the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League season. After making the playoffs for the first time two years ago in PKL 7 and making some great purchases in the auction, the Steelers were expected to challenge for the top spot in the table from the get-go. However, things haven't quite panned out as expected, with the outfit finding themselves mid-table. Star raider Rohit Gulia believes it is the inconsistency between the two departments that have hurt them thus far. 

Haryana Steelers are currently placed 6th with 34 points after 12 matches. Of late, they have bagged two consecutive wins, against table-toppers Dabang Delhi and Punri Paltan, to gain some momentum and confidence. However, prior to this mini-revival, they had gone winless in three matches on the trot and found themselves deep in the lower half of the standings.

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Moreover, a few notable individual contributions have kept the side in the reckoning. While skipper Kandola and Meetu have topped the raiding charts with 101 and 58 points, respectively, Jaideep (40) and Surender Nada (33) have taken care of the defensive duties with utmost responsibility.

But Gulia, while speaking to the Hindustan Times, remarked that the inconsistency shown in two areas has hampered their progress.

“We need to work in both areas, defense and offense. What is happening so far is that at times, our defenders perform well and at other times, our raiders perform well. Sometimes, our defense fails, and sometimes our offense. So, we need to strike that combination (consistency and balance), and only when both departments perform well in tandem in one game, will we move forward. We can 100 percent reach the playoffs and even go on to play the finals,” he explained.

Gulia was bought for a whopping INR 83 lakh in the PKL 8 auctions, making him the most expensive purchase for the Steelers. Hence, and naturally so, the expectations of him from the fans are high. When asked about dealing with the weight of the price tag, Gulia, who has so far scored 47 raid points in 10 encounters, said: 

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"If I take the pressure and let it get to me, then I will not be able to play. If I don't play, then nobody will believe in us. It doesn't matter if I am unable to perform (well enough) as long as my team is winning. To all of us, the team's success is of top priority and of prime importance. If I score a Super 10 every match but the team loses, then it's of absolutely no use to any of us," said Gulia.

Previously, Gulia played for the Gujarat Giants (erstwhile Gujarat Fortune Giants) and in a dynamic league such as PKL, settling down in a team environment can take time. However, Gulia maintained that the transition has been seamless.

"It's a new team for namesake because I have played with most of the players in the team. I play with Vikash and Ravi [Kumar] for the Railways team during the nationals. We all share a great bonding and I have faced no problem in settling in. Our management and the coach have also played a huge role in that," he added.

And finally, sharing his thoughts on the newly-appointed captain of the Steelers, Kandola, Gulia quipped that their strong bond has always helped both of them

"I have been playing with Vikash even before the Pro Kabaddi League came into existence. Only in PKL were we playing for different teams before this. We joined the Railways team together. Every now and then, he keeps telling me what I can do better and I follow that. And he does the same when I suggest tweaks. We both constantly think about each other's welfare," concluded the raider.

Haryana Steelers will next take on UP Yoddha on Sunday, January 23.

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