PKL 12: What could be Gujarat Giants' auction strategy?

Gujarat Giants finished in the second-last spot in the PKL 11.

The Gujarat Giants looked unbalanced in the Pro Kabaddi League season 11, which is evident from their position in the points table. They will be looking for a fresh beginning at the PKL 12 auction, which will be held on May 31 and June 1, in Mumbai.

The two-time runners-up finished eleventh in the table last season with just 38 points after five wins, fourteen losses, and three ties in 22 matches. After this poor performance, they released veteran coach Ram Mehar Singh and appointed Jaivir Sharma, who has enjoyed success with the Indian National Team previously.

Having retained just four players and released the remaining sixteen, Gujarat Giants are likely to be one of the busiest teams in the auction. What are the things they would like to address? Here is their possible auction strategy:

Secure a lead raider

The Gujarat Giants had the joint least number of raid points last season. However, they have interestingly decided to give most names from their previous roster an opportunity for redemption. Parteek Dahiya, Rakesh, and Himanshu Singh can play a strong supporting cast. They have parted ways with Guman Singh, whose form fluctuated and didn’t justify the whopping price tag of Rs. 1.97 Cr.

While using the Final Bid Match (FBM) Card for Guman at a lower price isn’t a bad option. The Giants would have set their eyes on the plethora of marquee raiders set to go under the hammer. Naveen Kumar, Ashu Malik, Arjun Deshwal, Devank Dalal, and Maninder Singh will all be up for grabs.

They should look to procure one big-ticket name. Following this, they can spend a small amount to snap raiders from the category C or D lists.

Also Read: PKL 12: List of players released, retained by Gujarat Giants ahead of auction

Strong left corner

Depending on the price tag of the marquee raider they buy, the Giants will have to adjust their defence accordingly, potentially buying one or two big names. With the right corner, Himanshu, who had a decent campaign last time around, their only retention in defence, they should be looking to spend big on a left corner.

With Mohammadreza Shadloui unlikely to fit their budget, they should look to target Fazel Atrachali and Ankit Jaglan. If they find any of these names, that player could be a potential captaincy candidate and solve Gujarat’s leadership problems.

Smart buys for the cover positions

Over the years, there have been very few cover defenders who have performed brilliantly on the mat. Hence, they can reserve a minimum amount for the right and left cover position. The latter spot can be taken up by Vahid Rezaeimehr, on whom the FBM can be used. They can choose between Deepak Singh, Mayur Kadam, and Surjeet Singh for the right cover position.

Coach Jaivir will also be looking for one or two backup players for each position. After a below-expected performance, it will be interesting to see if the management can build a team that has the right balance of experience and youth.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Kabaddi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.