Gujarat Giants vs Jaipur Pink Panthers, Pro Kabaddi (PKL), Today Match Prediction

gg vs jpp Match Prediction & Analysis

The Gujarat Fortune Giants got a rude shock when Dabang Delhi forced a TIE against the Bengal Warriors yesterday. This helped the defending champions steal the last spot in the next round. Hence Gujarat will play for pride in its last appearance of the season. With just 9 wins from 21 matches, it was always going to be a miracle that could have saved the Fortune Giants.

On the other hand, the Jaipur Pink Panthers have already qualified for the play-off and they will give their reserves an opportunity to enjoy some mat time. The Pink Panthers have been the most successful side in the tournament with 15 wins from 21 matches. They have the best raider as well as the best defender of the season, viz Arjun Deshwal and Ankush.

The Pink Panthers have won 5 consecutive matches while the Fortune Giants gave themselves some hope with 4 consecutive wins. But this will be the end of the road for the Fortune Giants as they will look forward to bidding adieu with a victory.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Gujarat Giants Preview

The Gujarat Fortune Giants have been a pale shadow of themselves this season. After a sensational debut at the PKL a few years back, the Fortune Giants have not been able to live up to expectations. They were known for their tenacity and innovative approach, but this season has been a forgetful one for them. 

They never looked comfortable with their team composition ever as their only companion was struggling. With just 7 victories, they are out of contention for the next round. Interestingly the Fortune Giants started playing well, the moment they realized they are out of contention. They registered back-to-back victories over the Puneri Paltan and the Patna Pirates.

The Fortune Giants will enter the arena for the last time this season and they will play for pride and to entertain their fans. They won 9 out of their 21 matches which were not enough. 

The Fortune Giants earned 782 team points in 21 matches but they have conceded 798.

They conducted 15 team Super raids but the Giants could execute only 167 successful tackles in 21 matches. This was better than the Telegu Titans who are at the bottom of the table.

They have inflicted 32 all-outs this season while conceding 28.

Raider Prateek Dahiya turned out to be their best raider with 166 raid points in 18 matches. He could not play a few games due to injury. He is a fantastic prospect as a lot of teams will be gunning for him in the auctions for the next season.

Raiders Rakesh, Chandran Ranjit, and Mahendra Rajput were effective individually but not as a team. The Fortune Giants missed good defenders this year. They leaked points throughout the season which lead to their debacle. 

Their best defender was Arkam Shaikh with 37 successful tackles in 21 matches. He does not feature in the top 20 for the season.

The Fortune Giants lost to the Pink Panthers in their earlier meeting of the season and it was a low-scoring affair. But Gujarat will play positively and aggressively in this match as they may encounter a second-string Jaipur side. Overall the Gujarat fans will expect them to return stronger next season.

Jaipur Pink Panthers Preview

Jaipur Pink Panthers have been one of the most impressive teams of the season. They retained the core from last season and got important players in the auctions. Coach Sanjeev Baliyan has used these resources intelligently to get the Pink Panthers into the semi-finals directly as they topped the points table. 

The Pink Panthers have been very consistent throughout the season except for a sudden drop in form mid-season. They lost 3 consecutive games thus casting doubts on their team prowess. They lost to the Puneri Paltan followed by a surprise defeat at the hands of the Tamil Thalaiva and then a defeat to the Bengaluru Bulls. But Jaipur made a solid comeback as they beat Dabang Delhi.

Fortunately for the Pink Panthers, star of yesteryears Rahul Chaudhary has been consistent as he completed 1000 raid points in his PKL career. He is just the 3rd raider to achieve this milestone. Raider Arjun Deshwal with 269 raid points this season has been their star raider. V Ajith has also contributed significantly thus making the Pink Panthers a multi-dimensional raiding team. 

Captain Sunil Kumar has induced a lot of confidence in the defense as has executed 56 successful tackles in 21 games. Pocket dynamo left corner Ankush has shared the responsibilities equally with 72 successful tackles which is the best by any defender this season. This makes the Pink Panthers a very dangerous team.

The Jaipur Pink Panthers won 15 matches this season which is the highest by any team. This helped them to grab the top spot in the points table facilitating their direct entry into the semi-finals. 

The Pink Panthers have executed 225 successful team tackles which is the highest for the season. They have earned 823 total team points while conceding just 649 which is the lowest by any team.

The Pink Panthers have been impressive and fascinating. They enter the arena for the last time in the round-robin format. The Pink Panthers would love to leave Hyderabad on a winning note as they have already begun their planning for the semi-finals to be played in Mumbai.