Visakhapatnam, Sep 4 : In a contest that went down to the wire and into a tie-breaker against U Mumba, Haryana Steelers captain Jaideep Dahiya became the embodiment of commitment. Barely hours after being discharged from the hospital, where he was admitted with a high fever, Jaideep stepped onto the mat and produced a crucial late tackle that kept his team alive.

Visakhapatnam, Sep 4 : In a contest that went down to the wire and into a tie-breaker against U Mumba, Haryana Steelers captain Jaideep Dahiya became the embodiment of commitment. Barely hours after being discharged from the hospital, where he was admitted with a high fever, Jaideep stepped onto the mat and produced a crucial late tackle that kept his team alive.

Head coach Manpreet Singh revealed the extraordinary circumstances: 'When we lost the last match, our captain was very sick. He had a high fever and had to be admitted to the hospital. He was discharged only at 4 pm today, and at 7 pm, he was in front of you on the mat. That shows his spirit ' the last time he played with an injury, this time he came straight from the hospital with a fever. This is what makes a sportsman.'

For Jaideep, just walking into the team meeting with his kit bag was enough to lift the dressing room. 'The whole team thought he would not play today. But when they saw me in the room, everyone was happy and motivated. I told them that no matter what, I would play,' Jaideep said with a smile.

The skipper admitted that the tie-breaker experience was new, but insisted the pressure did not rattle him. 'I have been in similar situations before, so I kept telling the boys that if we held our nerves, we could win. We made a small mistake in the end, but matches like this show how exciting Kabaddi can be. Fans love to see such intensity,' he said.

For Manpreet, the larger message was about resilience. 'This league is not a 100-metre race ' it's a long journey. Today, we saw defence settle in after half-time, and we saw a captain play through adversity. If you want to go deep in the season, you need such a spirit. That's what gives me hope for this team,' he summed up.

The Telugu Titans will need to return to winning ways to move up the points table when they take on the Jaipur Pink Panthers in Thursday's first match. For the Jaipur Pink Panthers, who won their opening match, it will be a tough task against Telugu Titans skipper Vijay Malik and co, who will surely have a point to prove.

Puneri Paltan, currently at the top of the points table and in fine touch, will face off against the might of Ashu Malik and the Dabang Delhi K.C.. With three wins in their kitty, the Paltan will need to be wary of Dabang Delhi, who showed their prowess in their opening win of the season against Bengaluru Bulls.

/IANS