Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Five talking points from Day 58 of PKL 5

Gujarat Fortunegiants dismantled Dabang Delhi in Tuesday's first Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5 encounter. Gujarat displayed no mercy as they added salt to Delhi's burning wounds.

Telugu Titans registered a comprehensive victory over Tamil Thalaivas in the second match of the day. Here are the major talking points from tonight's games:

#1 Gulf in class evident between Gujarat and Delhi

Tuesday's first encounter was between the first-placed and the last-placed teams from Zone A. It was between the best and the worst defensive units in the league.

When Gujarat and Delhi took to the mat, one had a feeling things could get ugly, which is exactly what transpired. The Fortunegiants were brutal, ruthless and everything in between. Dabang Delhi were weak, uninterested and just not good enough.

This was a one-sided affair in every sense of the word. With nothing to play for, one would have expected Delhi to play with a sense of freedom. But it was carelessness which was omnipresent among Delhi's players.

#2 Fortunegiants' depth in squad is scary

Multiple players have shone for Gujarat

By now, one is in a position to make a fair assessment of the favorites to qualify for the playoffs. After tonight's victory, Gujarat are all but through. But the manner in which they have handled their tasks is something worth noting.

While other teams have struggled to look beyond their starting seven for help, Gujarat have a problem of plenty. It is a problem that coach Maninder Singh will embrace with open arms. In Chandran Ranjit and Sachin, Fortunegaints have two of the most hungry players in their squad.

Both these raiders have repaid the faith of their coach with some splendid performances. There was no Sukesh Hegde in the starting seven, nor was there Mahindra Rajput -- two quality raiders who have regularly been impactful for their previous sides. Gujarat have too much quality and squad depth to falter at this point.

#3 Gujarat superior to Patna?

Gujarat have been more ruthless than Patna

It's a debate that has not yet taken life. But as we inch closer to the playoffs, one cannot help but compare the two teams which have topped their respective tables. So far, Gujarat Fortunegiants have played Patna Pirates only once this season.

The Pro Kabaddi debutants edged past the two-time champions, winning the encounter by a solitary point. When you take a step back and observe these two quality sides, it is evident that Gujarat are the more ruthless outfit out of the two.

While Monu Goyat has played an integral role for Patna this season, the Pirates still continue to largely depend on their star man, Pardeep Narwal on most occasions. The same cannot be said for Gujarat.

It's not only the raiders but the defenders as well who have shone for Gujarat. Unlike Patna, they look a much more cohesive team. Patna, on the other hand, are heavily lopsided with their defenders having failed to impress so far.

#4 Rahul Chaudhari limps off and returns like a champ

Rahul was reeling in pain but not for long

Rahul Chaudhari is a supreme athlete, one of the finest and fittest in the league. He has rarely sat out a match due to injury. It speaks volumes about his work ethic. But on Tuesday, Telugu's star man experienced immense pain.

What seemed like one of his usual raids turned out to be devastating. Chaudhari looked lively as he entered the Tamil Thalaivas half and was in the mood to attack. Just as he outstretched his right foot, he slipped as his ankle gave away.

Chaudhari was reeling in pain and limped off midway in the first half. The crowd and commentators assumed the worst. Surprisingly, he marched back into the mat two minutes later and even picked up a point which was a testament to his fitness and will to win. He scored a super 10 tonight!

#5 Another super 10 and another loss

Thakur has done all he can

At one point, the Telugu Titans were leading 36-15 against the Tamil Thalaivas. Out of those 15, ten of them came from the Thalaivas captain. While you can list down 99 reasons why Tamil Thalaivas have been losing, Ajay Thakur is surely not one of them.

He has been impressive this season. In the last match, he missed his Super 10 by a whisker, scoring 9. Tonight, he deservedly scored a Super 10 inside the first 25 minutes itself. But yet again, his teammates failed to deliver.

Believe it or not, Thalaivas failed to score a single tackle point even after close to thirty minutes had passed. And when they did finally score one, guess who contributed? Yes, it was Ajay Thakur who put his body on the line!