Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Five talking points from Day 43 of PKL 5
It was a fine day of Pro Kabaddi action on Friday as U Mumba were on a four-game win streak coming into the game, but it was snapped by the Gujarat Fortunegiants who got away late to win 39-28 and maintain their perfect record against U Mumba.
The home side, Patna Pirates, had earlier gotten their home leg off to a rollicking start with an impressive victory over the Telugu Titans and Rahul Chaudhari, winning 46-30.
Here's a look at what stood out on the opening night in Ranchi.
#1 Welcome back Sachin
Since leaving their home turf the Gujarat Fortunegiants have gone through some troubled times. Success hasn't traveled with them on the road and Sachin's form has been a key reason. His stellar showings early on laid the foundation for this team that defensively is one of the best in the league. With Sachin's points drying up, the team did not have any other reliable contributors in that department and it left the defence with too much to do.
Sachin rebounded in fine form today and his team needed it badly. He finished with 13 raid points, consistently getting the better of a U Mumba side that was in form coming into this game. It included a monster raid towards the end of the game that sealed the deal for the Fortunegiants.
His return to form will be a sigh of relief for coach Manpreet Singh and the rest of the side as they become a very daunting prospect when the raiders start contributing.