Pro Kabaddi 2023, Gujarat Giants vs Bengaluru Bulls: 3 player battles to watch out for
Gujarat Giants will play their second match of Pro Kabaddi 2023 against former champions Bengaluru Bulls on Sunday night. It is a rematch of the PKL 6 Final. Bengaluru emerged victorious in that match, but the squads of the two franchises have changed now.
Fazel Atrachali has returned to the Gujarat Giants. The Iranian defender led the team from the front by scoring three points against Pawan Sehrawat's Telugu Titans last night. Sonu Jaglan was the most successful raider for the home team, with 11 raid points to his name.
Bengaluru Bulls will play their first match of Pro Kabaddi 2023 tonight. The Bulls retained their core group of players ahead of the auction and added firepower to the defense by signing experienced players such as Surjeet Singh and Vishal Lather at the auction.
Before the match between Gujarat Giants and Bengaluru Bulls starts, here's a look at three player battles to watch out for in this PKL 2023 match.
#1 Sonu Jaglan vs Surjeet Singh
As mentioned before, Sonu Jaglan emerged as the game-changer for the Gujarat Giants last night in Pro Kabaddi 2023. He did not get a place in the starting seven, but the youngster made his presence felt after coming in as a substitute. He scored 11 points in the game against the Telugu Titans.
Tonight, Sonu will face a tough challenge from veteran defender Surjeet Singh, who is likely to play as the right cover for the Bengaluru Bulls. Surjeet is known for his mighty blocks and dashes. He is the fifth most successful defender of all time in the Pro Kabaddi League with 348 tackle points to his name.
It will be exciting to see if the youngster from Gujarat Giants can trouble the senior defender of the Bengaluru Bulls team.
#2 Fazel Atrachali vs Bharat Hooda
Bharat Hooda raids from both sides of the mat. If he enters as a right raider, he will have to face Gujarat Giants captain Fazel Atrachali, who will be standing in the left corner position. Gujarat's head coach Ram Mehar Singh also decided to use Mohammad Nabibakhsh as Atrachali's partner in defense during the match against Telugu Titans.
Considering that the duo of Fazel and Nabibakhsh scored a total of seven tackle points against Telugu Titans, the coach may retain both players in the defense. Bharat Hooda will find it extremely challenging to score bonus points if he enters as a right raider.
#3 Rakesh Sungroya vs Aman Antil
Rakesh Sungroya could not register a Super 10 against the Telugu Titans last night, but he scored five important raid points. Sungroya is a right raider, meaning Bengaluru Bulls' left corner defender Aman Antil will have the responsibility of tackling him.
Aman has been a consistent performer for the Bengaluru Bulls in the last few seasons. If he sticks to his basics, he can make life difficult for Rakesh Sungroya tonight. This match is expected to start at 9 pm IST in Ahmedabad. It will be interesting to see if Gujarat Giants can record another win on home turf in Pro Kabaddi 2023.