Pro Kabaddi League 2018, Match 116: Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Gujarat Fortune Giants | Match Preview and Predicted Lineups
The home side, Jaipur Pink Panthers take on the Gujarat Fortune Giants in a Zone A clash of PKL 2018 at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex today, Sunday at 9 pm IST.
The Pink Panthers, with a 35-35 tie against U Mumba in yesterday's encounter, are now out of the race for a playoff spot. They needed to win all their matches and this tie has made sure that they will not qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Their performance against the Zone A toppers was inspiring and Deepak Niwas Hooda's success in the final raid of the match ensured that the Panthers continue without a loss in their home leg. The form that they have displayed in the recent matches has come a little too late, and if the management had figured this team combination earlier, then the Panthers would have been top contenders for the trophy this season.
The Fortune Giants, on the other hand, have already qualified for the playoffs, but now have to win their remaining encounters to try and finish at the top of the Zone A standings in order to make sure that they get two opportunities, instead of one, to make it to the finals in the Playoff stage.
They registered a significant win (47-37) against the Haryana Steelers in their last match, courtesy a superb raiding display. The Fortune Giants' raiders scored 30 points with two of them, K.Prapanjan and Sachin finishing with a Super-10.
The two teams, Jaipur Pink Panthers and Gujarat Fortune Giants, have faced each other once in the season so far in Match 45 wherein the Fortune Giants came out on top with a 36-25 victory.
Key Battles to keep an eye on
#1 Sachin (right raider) vs Sandeep Dhull (left corner)
#2 Deepak Niwas Hooda (left raider) vs Parvesh Bhainswal (left cover)
Probable playing 7
Jaipur Pink Panthers: Deepak Niwas Hooda (c), Ajinkya Pawar, Anand Patil, Sunil Siddhgavali, Amit Kumar, Sandeep Dhull, and Santhapanaselvam
Gujarat Fortune Giants: Sunil Kumar (c), Sachin, Mahendra Rajput, K.Prapanjan, Parvesh Bhainswal, Ruturaj Koravi, and Sachin Vittala
When and where to watch: 21:00 IST on the Star Sports network and on digital streaming platform Hotstar.
Catch the latest updates of the Pro Kabaddi Points Table here at Sportskeeda.