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The domestic league of India's homegrown sport will witness its biggest instalment in the fifth edition which shall commence later on this month on the 28th of July.
One of the new four teams in the fray Fortune Giants Gujarat, owned by Adani Wilmar Limited has built up a pretty competitive squad at the player auctions which were held in May.
The Gujarat team will play their home leg in the city of Ahmedabad at Transtadia, which is the same venue where the Indian team emerged as champions of the Kabaddi World Cup last October. In light of this, the team will garner increased support from the local fans who have now been exposed to the sport on a global scale due to the KWC.
Sportskeeda looks at five reasons why the Fortune Giants Gujarat can go out and claim the coveted title in their very first season of the Pro Kabaddi League.
#1: Iranian defensive wall
Recruiting Fazel Atrachali was the best decision taken by the Gujarat management at the auctions in order to lay the foundation for a strong defensive side. Fazel finished as the Best Defender in the league last season when he won the title with the Patna Pirates with a tackle conversion rate of 69.7% and a strike rate of 62.5%.
He has amassed 95 defence points from his 32 matches and will be eager to increase this tally in the fifth season.
As for support, he will have his compatriot Abozar Mighani and together they will form an impregnable defence akin to the one they do for the Iranian national team. Abozar maybe making his debut in PKL, but he has considerable experience by his side, and his recent performance at the World Cup wherein he had 17 successful tackles speak volumes of the skills and ability he possesses.
#2: Sukesh Hegde
Sukesh emerged as one of the top bargain buys at the player auctions with Gujarat fetching his services for a throw-away sum of Rs 31.50 lakhs. He largely played the second fiddle role to Rahul Chaudhari during his time at the Telugu Titans and now has been entrusted with the task of leading the Gujarat side in the capacity of a captain.
With 209 raid points from his 49 matches, Sukesh is one key force in the attack of the side and will marshal his troops on the mat effectively by example. Sukesh looks to relish the increased responsibility as was evident when he was quoted as saying to Sportstar in an earlier interview, “I am looking to coaches for guidance. As captain for the first time in Pro Kabaddi, I am expected to do my role and also decide for the team. We have the youngest side this season, so my role as captain is extremely crucial."
#3: Coaching and Support Staff
The entire Fortune Giants squad have been training at the Sports Authority of India's Gandhinagar centre for almost one month under the watchful eyes of two coaches - Neer Gulia and Manpreet Singh, both of whom bring valuable experience to the fore.
Manpreet, a former Patna Pirates player himself who won the title back in Season 3, will be looking to the guide the players through the course of the season, having been exposed to what actually transpires on the mat during a PKL match. Neer Gulia will support his colleague with able tactics and strategies.
As for the support staff, Gujarat is the only franchise in the time to have hired an international physiotherapist alongside an Indian one and has also made available the facility of masseurs to help the players prep for the fifth season.
#4: A young raiding side
Sukesh Hegde will spearhead the team's attack but he will be assisted in his business by a host of young raiders in the likes of Mahendra Rajput, Pawan Sehrawat, Rakesh Narwal and Sachin.
Mahendra Rajput and Pawan have given glimpses of the raiding prowess in the past as is evident by their 95 and 56 raid points respectively, but they will have to play the role of full-fledged raiders in the Gujarat team.
Another bright prospect is Sachin, who will be making his debut in the PKL but has considerable experience of playing on the big stage given the fact that he was the captain of the Indian junior team.
#5: Intense training camp
Coach Manpreet Singh threw light on the regime of the team while speaking to PTI, "Players are going through an eight-hour session every day starting at six in the morning."
With this sort of strict routine, the coaches are ensuring that the entire squad is at the pinnacle of its fitness before the long season.
At the Sports Authority of India in Gandhinagar, the entire Fortune Giants Gujarat squad can thus be seen doing their outdoor drills, gym sessions, engaging in practice matches while retiring to ice baths at the end of the day!
