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Debutants from the previous season, the Gujarat Fortunegiants under the tutelage of Sukesh Hegde and at a later stage Fazel Atrachali topped the Zone 'A' table with 15 wins from 22 group stage matches and then in the first qualifier, won 42-17 against Bengal Warriors.
Unfortunately for them, they could not cross the final hurdle, losing 38-55 to Patna Pirates and with PKL 2018 season only a few weeks away, the Fortunegiants will hope to go one step further and win the title.
Ahead of the auctions, the Fortunegiants retained raiding duo of Sachin Tanwar and Mahendra Ganesh Rajput along with their star defender from last season, Sunil Kumar. From the auctions, the Fortunegiants roped in Ajay Kumar, K Prapanjan and Korea's Dong Geon Lee to add firepower to the raiding unit.
On the defensive front, Parvesh Bhainswal's services were re-opted for while a ₹30.4 lakh bid for talented defender Ruturaj Shivaji Koravi emphasized the season five runners-up's effort to nurture young talent. Hadi Oshtorak's signing could also mean some foreign flavour in the corner.
Here are five impact players who can be expected to shine this season.
#5 Ruturaj Shivaji Koravi
Hailing from Maharashtra, the defender made his presence felt in the right corner position at the Senior Nationals 2017-18 when he combined extremely well with Girish Ernak to lead the defense unit which helped his team win the title.
Training under Shri Namdev Gavde at the Chhava Club, Ruturaj's experience and fearless defending at the corner position will be vital for the Fortunegiants, who will have to make do without the presence of the Iranian defense pillars Abozar Mighani and Fazel Atrachali in the corners.
However, much is expected from Ruturaj, whose explosiveness blended into the right sense of understanding of the game will see him hold the aces for Gujarat.
#4 Mahendra Ganesh Rajput
A lanky raider who is known to use his height to good effect, Mahendra Rajput was forced to raid under the shadows of his superiors at the Bengal Warriors and then the Fortunegiants, but with Sukesh Hegde moving out to join the Tamil Thalaivas, the talented raider will have a chance to assert his dominance.
With a hand touch his potent weapon, Mahendra Rajput has been known to torment the best of defenders with his reach and with 165 points from 49 matches, has enough experience to add value to the Fortunegiants setup.
#3 Parvesh Bhainswal
A left cover defender who enjoyed an excellent run with the Fortunegiants in the previous season, Bhainswal was bought back by the team in the auctions and will be an imperative part of the Sunil Kumar-led side this season as well.
Having started his PKL career with the Jaipur Pink Panthers where he played only seven games, he was a constant presence in the starting seven of the Fortunegiants and scored 48 points from 24 matches, forming chains with the likes of Sunil Kumar and Fazel Athrachali to make his opponent's raid chances that much tougher.
#2 Sachin Tanwar
Sachin Tanwar enjoyed a fabulous debut with the Fortunegiants in the fifth season of the PKL when he picked up 173 points from 24 matches to finish as the best raider from the team. Capable of travelling the court at a lively pace, Sachin's terrific run was instrumental in Gujarat's dominance last season.
This time around, Sachin Tanwar will have the likes of Mahendra Rajput and K Prapanjan for company which can see him play with a lot more freedom, that could ultimately lead to him picking a flurry of points.
#1 Sunil Kumar
At the end of the player auctions, the Gujarat Fortunegiants' squad showed a lot of fresh faces, raising questions on who would captain the squad for the upcoming season. However, that responsibility was bestowed on star defender from last season Sunil Kumar, who was retained by the team.
This season, Sunil will have for company the likes of Parvesh Bhainswal, Ruturaj Koravi, and Hadu Osthorak and his alliance with the rest of the defensive unit will be imperative to their success this season.
With 58 points from 24 matches, Sunil's proficiency on the mat certainly places him as one of the defenders to watch out for from the upcoming season.
