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The Pro Kabaddi 2023 season will see the Gujarat Giants take on the Telugu Titans in the season opener on Saturday, December 2. The hosts will be eager to start their journey with a win in front of their home crowd at the Arena by Transtadia Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The Giants are yet to clinch a PKL title despite appearing twice in the finals. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to translate that success over the last few editions, qualifying for the playoffs just once in the last three seasons.
They ended eighth in the previous edition and will look to mount a strong comeback this season. The Gujarat-based franchise have got back the services of Iranian legend Fazel Atrachali with the hopes of clinching their maiden PKL title.
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Not only this, they have added fuel to their Iranian fire with the inclusion of Mohammad Nabibakhsh.
Coach Ram Mehar Singh has ensured they have a solid defense that could play a key role in their PKL 10 journey. Although they lack raiding firepower, they have a few talented players who can deliver match-winning performances under the right guidance.
On that note, let’s look at five players who will have a major impact on Gujarat Giants' performance in PKL 10.
#5 Ravi Kumar
Ravi Kumar is a seasoned campaigner in PKL, who started his journey in the second edition with Puneri Paltan. Playing at right-cover, he has delivered some match-winning performances in his career.
His best season came in 2019 for the Haryana Steelers, bagging 52 points in 21 games. Overall, he has 214 tackle points in 137 games, including nine High 5s, and 23 super tackles.
Although he hasn’t been at his best in the last two seasons, Gujarat Giants can bank on his experience to step up in crunch situations.
#4 Rakesh Sangroya
Rakesh Sangroya has led the raiding for Gujarat Giants for the last two seasons. In his debut appearance in season eight, he finished with 140 points in 22 games. Even in the previous season, he secured 133 raid points in 17 games before being ruled out due to injury.
Overall, Sangroya has 271 raid points in 39 games at an average of 6.95, with seven super raids and 12 super 10s in his kitty. Gujarat expects him to take charge of the raiding unit again and help them clinch their maiden title.
#3 Parteek Dahiya
Parteek Dahiya had a debut season to remember last time with the Gujarat Giants. He finished seventh in the list of most raids with 178 points in 19 games. This tally was also the third-highest by any debutant in PKL history. Such was the impact of Parteek for the Giants.
He took charge of the raiding unit in the absence of Rakesh and did well. Parteek averaged 9.37 raid points, including 11 super 10s and four super raids. The Giants will have high hopes on him to continue his exceptional run.
#2 Mohammad Nabibakhsh
Iranian all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh is one of the most experienced players in the circuit. Having won gold at the Asian Games 2018 with Iran, he brings a lot to the table for the Gujarat Giants.
He made his PKL debut in 2019 for Bengal Warriors and even led them to the title in the absence of Maninder Singh. Nabibaksh played a key role for them in the final, securing nine raid points and a solitary tackle point.
However, he failed to replicate that performance in the last season for Puneri Paltan. This year, it will be a great chance for him to show what he is capable of with his Iranian partner, Fazel Atrachali.
#1 Fazel Atrachali
The “Sultan” Fazel Atrachali is back in Gujarat colors after the team bought him for ₹1.6 crores at the PKL 10 Auction. He is the most successful defender in PKL history, with 424 tackle points in 146 games.
Fazel has a tackle success rate of 55 percent and averages 2.9 tackle points per game. He also has the second-most High 5s (26) and 24 super tackles. His not-out percentage of 90 shows how important his presence on the mat is for the team.
Fazel is not just consistent but very lethal at the left corner and has the ability to take on the raiders single-handedly. Gujarat Giants will be hoping to revive their form under the leadership of Fazel Atrachali.
