Gujarat Giants predicted starting seven for PKL 9

The team will be looking to win their first title under new coach Ram Mehar Singh. 

Gujarat's Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) journey began with two consecutive appearances in the finals when they made their debut in the league. The Ahmedabad-based franchise has done everything in its power to achieve their goal which is to win the title but it consistently falls short of success up close. The Giants quickly recovered from their disastrous Season 7 campaign and made the playoff round in season 8.  However, their Season 8 campaign came to an end in the Eliminator match when Bengaluru defeated them decisively by a score of 20 points.

For season 9 they let go of their long-associated coach Manpreet Singh and brought Ram Mehar Singh on board. With a new coach, the franchise would hope to win their first-ever title. But before the season kicks off, we take a look at their possible starting seven. 

Raiding responsibility will be on Rakesh, Chandran Ranjith and Pradeep 

Rakesh Sungroya had no reputation before Season 8, but after showcasing impressive skills on the mat, he took the PKL community by storm. The young man from Chandigarh, who was their top choice for retention, scored 140 raid points in 27 games during his first season. After a five-year hiatus, Chandran Ranjith is back with Gujarat Giants, where he had his first significant PKL journey in Season 5.

Mahendra Rajput, a raider from Maharashtra, is preparing for yet another campaign with Gujarat. He will be representing the Giants for the fourth consecutive year, so he is a sort of a well-known figure in the team's camp. Pardeep Kumar, who also garnered high praise for his debut campaign the previous season, will present a formidable challenge to Rajput for the third raider's spot in the team. 

Gujarat Giants will have a new look defense 

Gujarat has long been renowned for having a stellar defensive line. Their defensive lineup from the previous season included Sunil Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Ravinder Pahal, Girish Maruti Ernak, and Hadi Oshtorak, making it the strongest on paper. Sandeep Kandola, a star left corner for the team, will have to shoulder much of the responsibility in defense in the new season. He will have Rinku Narwal, a seventh-edition champion with the Bengal Warriors, to add depth in defense. Baldev Singh, Rinku's teammate from that PKL-winning season, also joined the Giants camp after a brief stint with Puneri Paltan. 

A couple of new players to watch out for are Shankar Gadai, the captain of the silver-medal-winning Maharashtra team, and teammate Arkam Shaikh who will be making their debut on the PKL stage.

Players to keep an eye on

Rakesh will be expected to do well as he will have to shoulder much of the raiding responsibilities. Pardeep Yadav is another raider who can be expected to take the centre stage. It would be interesting to see how Shankar Gadai and Arkam Shaikh adapt to the challenge of PKL. 

Expected starting seven of Gujarat Giants

Raiders: Rakesh Sungroya, Chandran Ranjith  Mahendra Ganesh Rajput Raider, 

Defenders: Arkam Shaikh, Sandeep Kandola, Baldev Singh and Shankar Gadai