How Gujarat Giants overpowered teams despite lacking marquee Raiders? Season Review

The two-time finalist had a decent outing in the season 10.

This season, Gujarat Giants has been among the most dominant teams. They consistently occupied the top spot in the points table during the first part of the competition. The season started with the home leg of Gujarat Giants in Ahmedabad. They were off to a great start winning their first three games of the season.

A good start meant that they kept the momentum going throughout the season as they occupied the top half of the points table. Although they couldn’t qualify for the finals, it was a season with more hits than misses for the two-time finalists. Let’s look into how the Gujarat Giants fared in the season.

Top Performers

Fazel Atrachalli

Gujarat Giants qualified for the playoffs having missed out last season, and their skipper, Fazel Atrachali, played a great role in it. In 23 games, he scored 62 points in total. Both the team and the skipper saw an increase in confidence after each performance. Fazel Atrachali assumed the role of Left Corner for this team and more than the defender, his role as a captain made the biggest difference this season.

Sombir

If Fazel Atrachalli dominated the opposition Raiders in the left corner, there was one more guy who was dominating it in the Right corner. It was Sombir and it has consistency was on the rise as the tournament progressed. In the 22 games he played, the corner defender scored 52 points with four High-5s for the season. His combination with Fazel was one of the primary reasons for Gujarat qualifying for the playoffs.

Parteek Dahiya

Parteek Dahiya, a teenage raider for the Gujarat Giants, made waves with his skill, scoring 130 points in twenty games. He scored 13 points apiece in the game against the Bengal Warriors and Bengaluru Bulls in the Kolkata leg which made them one of the favorites. He led the team to win by carrying out several amazing raids, earning him the Raider with the most Raid points from Gujarat Giants.

Underperformer of the Season

Mohammad Nabibakhsh

Gujarat Giants build their squad around two Iranian stars Fazel Atrachalli and Mohammad Nabibakhsh. While Atrachalli played the role of primary defender and captain, the other Iranian never really showed up for the season. Playing 21 games, the all-rounder could score only 16 tackle points and 12 Raid points. The Iranian couldn’t seal his spot in the starting seven and couldn’t replicate the success he had with the Bengal Warriors. It won’t be surprised if Nabibakhsh is released ahead of the Auction.

Special Mentions

Gujarat Giants had a quality defense with experienced folks guarding it. It was their Raiders that needed to step up and at the start of the season, there weren’t any household names in the squad. At the end of the season, not one but two Raiders played fearless Kabaddi to ensure Gujarat qualified for the playoffs. Rakesh Sangroya with 108 Raid points and Sonu Jaglan with 83 Raid points made sure that Gujarat will think hard before selecting their retention list for season 11.

Top Performances

Bengaluru Bulls 28 – 50 Gujarat Giants, Match 116

Dabang Delhi KC 26 – 31 Gujarat Giants, Match 76

Gujarat Giants 39 – 37 U Mumba, Match 7

Manager’s Report Card – Ram Mehar Singh

If there is a coach who wears his heart up his sleeves, then it is the coach of the Gujarat Giants Ram Mehar Singh. No matter, if a player is an International captain or not, a team featuring Ram Mehar Singh, will have Singh as the alpha male of the team.

While many might feel the coach was dominating the players, anyone who is in the thick of things says that the coach is in control of the squad as he gives a role to every member of the squad and backs them to the hilt. The emergence of the likes of Rakesh, Sonu Jaglan, and Parteek Dahiya shows the backing of Ram Mehar Singh.

Lessons to be Learned

When Gujarat came into the Pro Kabaddi League, they became a force to reckon with straight away as they qualified for the finals in their first two seasons. Unfortunately, they have lacked consistency in the next three seasons as they failed to qualify for the playoffs in two of those three seasons.

The team from the west went back to their winning formula by buying back their skipper Fazel Atrachalli under whom they played in two consecutive finals. Building a team around him proved to be a well-worked-out strategy as the experienced Iranian guided the youngsters under pressure as they made it to the playoffs.

Fan View

Every Gujarat Giants fan was happy when they roped in Fazel Atrachalli in the Auction. While they might not have won the title this time, but the fans would like to see some continuity with the coach and captain. This will help the squad come up with some serenity which can end up in a trophy-winning season. The next Auction will be crucial for the men in orange and if they can buy a star Raider then Gujarat will be one of the favorites going into season 11.

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