PKL 9: Jaipur Pink Panthers will play against Gujarat Giants to remain on top

Gujarat has been eliminated from the league stage.

Gujarat Giants has been in great form having won four back-to-back matches but the team has probably peaked at the wrong time. If Dabang Delhi KC has two matches remaining and if they atleast one match then it is all over for Gujarat this season. The chances of qualification are slim but they can put in a spirited effort against Jaipur Pink Panthers.

Jaipur Pink Panthers after qualifying previously has also booked the top two spots and will be playing the qualifiers directly against Puneri Paltan. This will be a one-off match and coach Sanjeev Baliyan can test out few youngsters in the bench along with giving valuable game time to experienced Rahul Chaudhari.

Team News

Squad

Jaipur Pink Panthers

Raiders: Ajith V Kumar, Arjun Deshwal, Devank, Rahul Chaudhari, Nitin Panwar, Navneet, Bhavani Rajput

Defenders: Sunil Kumar, Abhishek KS, Ashish, Ankush, Sahul Kumar, Deepak, Woosan KO, Lucky Sharma, Reza Mirbagheri, Nitin Chandel

All-Rounder: Rahul Gorakh Dhanawade

Gujarat Giants

Raiders: Chandran Ranjit, Mahendra Rajput, Dong Geon Lee, Purna Singh, Sonu, Pardeep Kumar, Rakesh, Gaurav Chhikara, Sohit, Sonu Singh, Sawin

Defenders: Vinod Kumar, Young Chang Ko, Rinku Narwal, Baldev Singh, Sourav Gulia, Sandeep Kandola, Manuj, Kapil, Ujjval Singh

All-rounders: Arkam Shaikh, Parteek Dhaiya, Rohan Singh, Shankar Gadai

Head to Head

Jaipur Pink Panthers and Gujarat Giants have faced each other 11 times in the Pro Kabaddi League out of which, Gujarat has won six encounters whereas Jaipur Pink Panthers have come out victorious on four occasions with one game ending in a tie.

Player to watch

The return of secondary raider Ajith Kumar has boosted the confidence of the Jaipur Pink Panthers. The lad from Tamil Nadu scored 13 raid points in the last encounter where Arjun scored only five points. Ajith Kumar needs to play in a similar fashion against inconsistent Gujarat’s defence ahead of the playoffs.

Dong Geon Lee has turned out to be a valuable player for Gujarat Giants having swapped the role with Chandran Ranjith. In the limited opportunities, the South Korean has performed extremely well and now will be up against a tough defensive unit of Jaipur. He needs to show composure against them and if succeeded Gujarat will have the advantage. 

Key to Success

Arjun Deshwal will most probably be rested and coach Sanjeev Baliyan shall bring in supporting raiders like Rahul Chaudhari and Bhavani Rajput. Bhavani Rajput has got the least number of games amongst the raiders of Jaipur Pink Panthers and will be used as a substitute if required in the playoffs. 

The defence of Gujarat Giants has been an issue and the number of unsuccessful tackles has reduced in the last few games. If they continue to perform in the same fashion then Gujarat will be ahead in the game.

Did you know

Rinku Narwal from Gujarat Giants is five points away from reaching the 150 tackle points mark in the Pro Kabaddi League.

Broadcast

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