In our opportunity at making to the finals, we lost a hard fought battle against a strong Bengaluru team. With the outcome of the match being decided by just two Super raids by Pawan Sehrawat. He single-handedly changed the course of the game with his two Super Raids, and our Giants failed to recover from that shock. We only managed to score 3 points in the final 5 minutes of the game, whereas Bengaluru Bulls raced away with the game scoring 21 points in last 5 minutes of the game. Our defence looked rattled and was not performing at the level it used to. All these concerns will be addressed by coaches as we prepare for one more opportunity to go through to the finals.

UP Yoddha is on a dream run defeating U Mumba in the eliminator one and convincingly defeating Dabang Delhi in the eliminator 2. They seem to have peaked at the right time and gained a lot of momentum. Nitesh Kumar has been the key player for them in this run. He has carried the defence on his shoulders to take this team into the playoffs. Nitesh Kumar outscored Siddharth Desai in their match against U Mumba. When our Giants go up against UP Yoddha in the second qualifiers, our raiders will have to be smart to avoid Nitesh Kumar for us to have a chance to win and go into the finals. Sachin Tanwar will need to use his wits and avoid getting tackled by him. This will be our last opportunity to make it to the finals, lose here and our season will come to an end. However, our Giants will be prepared to lay everything on the line and go to finals once again.

Battle within the Battle: Parvesh Bhainswal vs. Nitesh Kumar

UP Yoddha are where they are because of the excellent defending from their five-star defender Nitesh Kumar. He has scored 7 high 5s in 24 matches this season. This is a world class defender who is in top form at the tail end of the season. Nitesh Kumar has won crucial games for UP Yoddha with his defending, and his stats speak for his abilities. But don’t consider Parvesh Bhainswal any less. Throughout the season he had made his name and earned the orange band for a brief period. With a bad performance against the Bengaluru Bulls, Parvesh Bhainswal will be looking to make a comeback so that he can deliver on the grandest stage of Pro Kabaddi. It will be fun to watch who comes out on top in this battle of top defenders.

Key Giants

Sachin Tanwar

Sachin Tanwar did not waver against the Bengaluru Bulls defence as he registered a Super 10 in the match. Sachin Tanwar has been our top raider and has always lived up to the most significant moments. He has been our leading man on the offense. For us to go to the finals, Sachin Tanwar will have to go up against the best defender of VIVO PKL 6 in Nitesh Kumar and come out on top. Sachin’s raiding will play a vital role in the outcome of the game.

Sunil Kumar

Sunil Kumar has led the team beautifully throughout season 6. Today will be the biggest test of his young career. He will have to lead the team in a crucial match where our chance to reach finals are on the line. He did not perform to his capability against Bengaluru Bulls, something he would like to change against a formidable opponents UP Yoddha. He will play a vital role in executing the strategy given to the team by the coaches.

VIVO PKL 6, Match 87: Gujarat Fortune Giants vs UP Yoddha, 8 PM IST

Venue: DOME@NSCI SVP STADIUM, MUMBAI

Broadcast: Star Sports Network