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Gujarat Fortune Giants were one out of four teams which debuted back in season 5 and have since then established themselves as one of the most competitive teams in Pro Kabaddi. They finished as runners-up in both season 5 and season 6.
Coach Manpreet Singh has always believed in nurturing young talents which has been one of the main reasons for Gujarat's success. His role has always been to ensure that the team stays on the same page and every player plays to their full potential.
In season 6, the Fortune Giants had a dominating league stage as finished with 17 wins out of 22 matches. Sunil Malik led the team last year with courage and composure as a young captain.
One of the highlights of their squad this season is their cover combination of Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal that adds stability to the defense unit. The combination tackle of Parvesh's upper body block with Sunil providing support in the lower region has been a feast to the eyes as it has ensured that the raiders do not have an easy outing.
The Fortune Giants are set to play their first league stage match on 21st July 2019 against Bengaluru Bulls. The home leg of Gujarat Fortune Giants will commenced in Ahmedabad from 10th August and culminate on 16th August 2019.
As we build up to Pro Kabaddi 2019, let us take a look at the predicted starting 7 for Gujarat Fortune Giants.
Right Corner: Ruturaj Koravi
Ruturaj Koravi had a decent debut last year for Gujarat Fortune Giants with his breathtaking chain tackles and blocks. Ruturaj initiated tackles on big raiders and provided support to Parvesh-Sunil in the cover defense.
In his debut season, Ruturaj scored 47 tackle points out of 23 matches at an average of 2.04 tackle points. Ruturaj showed maturity in his defensive work that led him to become the permanent right corner defender for the team.
Having released him into the auction initially, Gujarat re-signed Ruturaj Koravi for ₹30.50 lakh in the season 7 auction. The team management will expect him to perform better than last year and reduce his advance tackles to improve his tally from last season.
Right In: Rohit Gulia
A handy all-rounder from Haryana, Rohit Gulia brings immense experience to the game in both offensive and defensive department. Rohit made his debut in Season 5 through the 'Future Kabaddi Heroes' program with the Fortune Giants.
Rohit Gulia has been an integral player for the team in the past two seasons. He is known to save his team from crucial situations in the do or die raids which have turned around many matches for Gujarat.
Gulia is an expert in running hand touches with quick shuffling skills around the court to keep the opposition's defense in motion. He has remained the highest scoring all-rounder for Gujarat Fortune Giants in two consecutive seasons.
He has 93 raid points in 38 matches along with six tackle points. The team management might look to give him a permanent place in the starting 7.
Right Cover: Sunil Kumar Malik
Handed the captaincy duties for season 6, Sunil Kumar emerged as one of the most composed captains in the tournament last year. Guided by the energetic coach in Manpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar led his team with perfection as he led them to 17 wins out of 22 matches.
An expert in single thigh holds Sunil Kumar is known to tackle big match raiders. He formed a lethal partnership with Parvesh Bhainswal in the covers as Gujarat's wall of defense last season.
Sunil Kumar has 133 tackle points in 49 matches played for Fortune Giants at an average of 2.71 tackle points. He has six 'High 5s' to his name and was in fine form during season 5 and season 6, ending the campaign as the best right cover defender from both seasons.
Sunil Kumar may yet again lead Fortune Giants in the upcoming season and the Fortune Giants fans will eagerly hope to see him to lead the team to their first ever title victory after ending two seasons as runnners-up.
Center: Sachin Tanwar
One of the finds of the tournament for Gujarat Fortune Giants has been young Sachin Tanwar, who has led the offense of Gujarat single-handedly with precise moves in his raiding.
Having made his debuted at the age of 18 back in season 5, Sachin Tanwar won the best debutant of the season award in the same edition. A perfectionist in running hand touches, Sachin Tanwar's height helps him to score touch/bonus points with ease.
Hailing from Rajasthan, Sachin Tanwar quickly made an impression in a squad that seemed a light in terms of the raiding unit. In season 6, Sachin Tanwar had a couple of silent games as he could not score any Super 10. He scored his first Super 10 against Haryana Steelers and at the end of the season, finished with 190 raid points in 23 matches.
Overall, Sachin Tanwar has 349 raid points in 47 matches at an average of 7.43 raid points. With 14 Super 10s to his name, he was rightly retained by the Gujarat Fortune Giants as a priority pick.
Left Cover: Parvesh Bhainswal
Parvesh Bhainswal debuted back in season 4 with Jaipur Pink Panthers where he had a silent season as he could not live up to the expectations of his team.
He joined the Gujarat Fortune Giants in season 5 and formed a deadly cover partnership with Sunil Kumar. He scored 48 tackle points in 24 matches for the team as he led his team to the finals.
2018 was the year to remember for Parvesh Bhainswal as he scored an outstanding 86 tackle points in 25 matches averaging 3.28 tackle points with 5 High 5s to his credit.
Bhainswal's strength lies in his upper body blocks, which gives room for his cover partner Sunil to come in and strike with some powerful thigh holds. The defender was retained by the Fortune Giants as they retained him for ₹75 lakh with the FBM card.
He will once again be banked to provide a rock-solid defensive show this season.
Left In: GB More
A Services' board player, GB More represented Puneri Paltan back in season 5 where he didn't get enough chances to prove his worth. He was retained by Pune in the next season and he did perform better for the team in the offensive department.
In Nitin Tomar's absence due to an injury mid-season, GB More led the team's attack single-handedly. The second best raider for Puneri Paltan in season 6, GB More scored 79 raid points out of 22 matches with two Super 10s to his name.
He also provided immense support in the defense with 12 tackle points, exhibiting his versatility on the Kabaddi mat. In the season 7 auctions, the Fortune Giants signed him for ₹21.75 lakh that proved to be a steal in the auction.
GB More will be an immense support to Sachin Tanwar in the raiding with his quick running hand touches and escapes. The team management will look to get the best out of GB More in the seventh season of PKL.
Left Corner: Pankaj
Pankaj made his Pro Kabaddi debut back in season 5 when he joined UP Yoddha's defensive line-up. He came in as a substitution to Sagar Krishna in the left corner and provided decent support to Nitesh Kumar in the defense.
In Season 6, Pankaj was retained by the UP Yoddha as a definite left corner in the starting seven. However, he was soon replaced by Sachin Kumar after a few initial matches and didn't get chances to prove his worth.
A defensive all-rounder, Pankaj is known for his dives from the left corner and can also aid the cover defenders with his supportive tackles, making him a vital player in the line-up.
While the left corner position looks a bit empty for Gujarat, Pankaj will have to step up to the plate and quickly impress the team management to book a permanent place in the starting 7. Overall, Pankaj has 17 tackle points in 14 matches to his name.
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