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The fourth leg of VIVO Pro Kabaddi 2019 witnessed matches that went down to the wire with close finishes. It was a heartbreak for Gujarat Fortune Giants as they failed to book a single victory in their home leg at EKA Arena by TransStadia, Ahmedabad.
Gujarat Fortune Giants lost four out of four matches at home with defeats against Tamil Thalaivas (28-34), Telugu Titans (24-30), Bengal Warriors (26-28), and Jaipur Pink Panthers (19-22).
The team had raiders who scored consistently but it was not enough to defeat the opposition. Both Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal led the defense based on solo efforts, but the team could not prevail as a unit.
Sunil Kumar was the most stylish player for Gujarat Fortune Giants at home while Sachin Tanwar finished the leg as the best player of the home team.
After Ahmedabad leg, Pawan Sehrawat keeps the green arm-band with 87 raid points in seven matches. Sandeep Dhull now has the orange arm-band with 30 tackle points in seven games.
Based upon the consistency and all-round performance, let's have a look at the top three teams who could be in line to win Pro Kabaddi title after Ahmedabad leg.
#3 Bengal Warriors
Bengal Warriors played two games at Ahmedabad leg where both the matches went to an exhilarating finish in the final minutes of the game. Their raiding trio has managed to remain consistent with emerging defenders providing timely support to balance the team.
Bengal Warriors and Telugu Titans played out an exhilarating tie (29-29) where both teams considered playing without risks in the dying minutes of the match. Mohammad Nabibakhsh impressed everyone with his all-round ability as he scored five raid points including three tackle points. Rinku Narwal stopped the Desai brothers from scoring points with support from Jeeva Kumar and Baldev Singh.
They registered a win over Gujarat Fortune Giants and beat them for the first time in Pro Kabaddi history (26-28). K Prapanjan and Maninder Singh led the attack up front with 13 raid points combined.
The team has secured four wins till now with 25 points in the table at the third spot. With such a contribution from all players, Bengal Warriors look a dominant side and perhaps favorites to win the Pro Kabaddi title.
#2 Haryana Steelers
After dealing with a couple of losses, Haryana Steelers out of nowhere emerged as one of the dominant teams in Ahmedabad leg with two back to back victories. Vikash Khandola after returning from his injury made an impact with 40 raid points in four matches.
Haryana Steelers in their first match of the fourth week dethroned defending champions Bengaluru Bulls (30-33). Khandola scored 11 raid points with Vinay's support of five. Vikas Kale had an outstanding show with six tackle points where combined efforts from the team stopped Pawan Sehrawat from scoring big.
The team beat UP Yoddha (33-36) to continue their hattrick of wins as Vikash Khandola yet again scored 12 raid points. Right corner Sunil shined for the defense with six tackle points and contribution from all defenders helped the team to steal victory in a close match.
Haryana Steelers have found balance with Vikash Khandola leading the offense under the guidance of Rakesh Kumar. Naveen and Vinay have played decently as supportive raiders along with Prashant Kumar Rai who is a boost. The defense looks solid with consistent performers. If such things continue for the Steelers, they could surprise many fans by winning their first-ever title.
#1 Jaipur Pink Panthers
The new table-toppers in the points table at the moment, Jaipur Pink Panthers fought well in the concluding days of Ahmedabad leg to win their matches with ease.
Jaipur Pink Panthers dethroned Puneri Paltan (33-25) courtesy Deepak Hooda's nine raid points. The defensive contribution by Vishal and Sandeep Dhull gave four tackle points each with Amit Hooda's three tackle points.
In the following night against home team Gujarat Fortune Giants, Jaipur Pink Panthers kept their nerves intact and won a low scoring match (19-22). Deepak Niwas Hooda fought with six raid points along with Vishal and Sandeep Dhull who scored three tackle points each.
Jaipur also found the solution to their weak link at the right cover with Pavan TR who scored two tackle points in two attempts.
All in all, Jaipur Pink Panthers have worked well as a unit and executed their plans with perfection. They have been dominant so far and are the best contenders to win the Pro Kabaddi title this time around.
