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The 30th and 31st of May (when the PKL auctions were held) saw a total of 181 players getting divided into the 12 participating teams. Each team had to select between 18 and 25 players. Monu Goyat became the costliest player after being bought by Haryana's franchise for a whopping ₹151 lakhs.
Players like Rahul Chaudhari, Deepak Hooda, Nitin Tomar and Rishank Devadiga also joined the one crore club.
Fazel Atrachali became the priciest foreign player after bagging a huge sum of ₹100 lakhs.
Coach Manpreet Singh's Gujarat Fortune Giants, which were the runners-up of PKL season 5, made some crucial decisions at the auctions. The team management was all poised and emerged with a very competitive squad.
The team management of Gujarat had earlier made shocking decisions of not retaining either Fazel or Abozar as both of them were sublime in the last season.
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Here is an expert analysis of Gujarat Fortune Giants:
Raiders
There are in all nine raiders with the team. The young 18-year-old raider Sachin Tanwar is one of them and made a debut in the league last season -- becoming an instant hit.
Whenever he played, loud chants of "Sachin, Sachin" gave us some nostalgic cricket vibes. Undoubtedly, the Rajasthan-born player will play a crucial role in the team this time around as well.
Mahendra Rajput, one of the tallest player in the league, is also in the team. He previously played for Bengal Warriors till season 4 before making a switch to Gujarat's team. Rajput was a lifesaver last season and brought in the much-required points for the team when they needed them most.
Ajay Kumar, season 4's best newcomer, and K. Prapanjan will also be seen raiding for Gujarat's franchise. Other young players like South Korean star Dong Geon Lee, Shubham Palkar, Yashwant Bishnoi, Dharmender and Lalit Chaudhary will be the other raiders to don the red-yellow t-shirt of Gujarat for the upcoming league.
All-in-all, there are some wonderful raiders in the franchise. Young raiders have also shown a good game in their previous seasons. The coach once again focused on making a balanced team by including quite experienced and young players.
Defenders
There are a total of eight defenders with the Giants. Parvesh Bhainswal -- who was just outstanding last season -- is one of them. The Haryana-born left cover was lethal with his defense and definitely gave a hard time to the opposition raiders.
However, unlike the last season, there is no substantial defender in the team other than Parvesh. It is slightly disappointing as Gujarat were known for their attacking defense in season 5, but one can never really tell with PKL as many new talents emerge every time.
Young players like Sunil Kumar, Amit, C. Arasan, Sachin Vittala, Ruturaj Koravi, Amit Jaivir and Vikram Kandola will be seen defending the team and it is a great opportunity for them to come in the limelight.
All-rounders
Iranian glory Hadi Oshtorak is one of the three all-rounders in the squad. He has previously played for Patna Pirates and was an extremely effective player for them.
Be it ankle holds, thigh holds or double thigh holds, this player has mastered them all. The all-rounder will play a significant role as the defense of the team already looks tattering.
Rohit Gulia is the other go-to man in the Giants' army. He debuted last year along with Sachin and was one of the most impressive newcomers. The team will have his back when he gets onto the mat. Anil is the third player on the all-rounders' list for the Gujarat-based side and is also a promising prospect.
Author's Take
There is no doubt in the fact that Gujarat was seamless last season and it reflects in the results as indeed their players put up a great show. However, things might take a wrong turn this season as the defenders' list is not up to the mark. The coach and the team captain will have to guide the players on the right path if they want to put up a repeat performance this season as well.
Meanwhile, the raiders and all-rounders look quite appropriate and capable of bringing good 'fortune' to the Giants. However, one thing can be said for certain -- fans will have high expectations from the team due to their exploits last season.
What do you think about Gujarat Fortune Giants this season? Sound off your views in the comment box down below. Don't forget to watch the sixth edition of Pro Kabaddi League, which will kick-start from the 19th of October. Till then, Le Panga!!
