Gujarat Giants' Mid-Season Report: Can Fazel Atrachali's Leadership Pave the Way to Playoffs
The Gujarat Giants have been one of the best-playing teams this season. Their roster has shown an amazing all-round display of Kabaddi on the mat, and there is a reason they are placed comfortably in the third position in the league standings with 7 wins and 4 losses out of 11 matches. They have 39 points to their name and a score difference of +23. Fazel Atrachali has led the team brilliantly, setting an example for the other players to follow. He has received fantastic support from his other team members, be they defenders or raiders.
The Gujarat team probably had the best possible start to their campaign this season, as they won their first three games on the trot in their home leg. All the victories were closely fought matches, but they still ensured to get five points each from those three matches against the Telugu Titans (38-32), the Bengaluru Bulls (34-31), and U Mumba (39-37).
After the three victories, they got a little complacent and, as a result, lost their next three matches. The first loss came against the Patna Pirates by three points, whereas the next was also by three points against the Jaipur Pink Panthers. The third loss was against the Haryana Steelers by two points, which would hurt them the most because they had that game in their pockets and let Haryana win out of nowhere by two points.
The team came back on track after that, thanks to Rakesh (14 points) and Fazel Atrachali (6 points), who ensured Gujarat beat U.P. Yoddhas and got those five important points. The Gujarat Giants won their next two games as well and made a bold statement. They beat the Tamil Thalaivas by three points in Chennai and then thrashed the Bengal Warriors in a high-scoring game in Noida. Parteek Dahiya was the team’s lone warrior in that match, scoring a record 25 points and taking his team home.
As soon as the PKL 10 moved to 2024 from 2023, the Gujarat team lost another match against Dabang Delhi by 7 points, making sure they got one point from that loss. Their latest match was against the Telugu Titans, whom they beat again this season, this time by seven points and with an even better performance.
The Gujarat team has just been sensational this season. They have not had a sole performer who is playing exceptionally, but all the players are playing their part perfectly and helping the team move ahead. Rakesh is the leading raider with 71 points in 11 matches, followed by Sonu Jaglan (58 points) and Parteek Dahiya (45 points).
Without a doubt, Fazel Atrachali has been the team’s top defender this season, with 31 points in 11 games. He has received good support from Sombir, who has 27 points in as many matches. The Gujarat team has yet to play half their matches this season, and they look well on their way to the playoffs. They just need to continue doing what they have done thus far, and they will be fine for the rest of the tournament.
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