In their penultimate match of the home leg, Gujarat Fortune Giants will square off against Bengal Warriors at the EKA Arena by TransStadia tomorrow.

When Gujarat Fortune Giants crushed Bengaluru Bulls and U.P. Yoddha in the opening leg, everyone thought that it was just the first of many dominant performances in VIVO Pro Kabaddi League Season 7. However, what happened in the aftermath of their win against the table-toppers Dabang Delhi was completely unexpected. It’s also the first time we’ve been put in an unfamiliar situation like this.

There is no denying that the Giants have a point to prove in front of the home fans after losing four matches on the trot, the last two being at home. Surely, beating an in-form side like Bengal Warriors will have a massive impact on the team’s confidence and morale.

Talking about the individual performances, Rohit Gulia has been the big revelation of the season, and has scored 42 raid points from 7 matches. Although, Sachin Tanwar has shown glimpses of his best in the last two matches, he is yet to pick up a Super 10 in Season 7. Sachin and Rohit’s partnership will need to come good when we challenge Bengal’s defensive unit.

Despite trying out young talents like Sonu Jaglan and Harmanjit Singh, the lack of an experienced third raider in the team is a big concern for Manpreet going into this fixture. More GB has had to take the responsibility all upon himself to bail the team out whenever they are in trouble.

Having taken just two tackle points against Telugu Titans in the first half, the defence showed positive signs threatening Siddharth and Suraj Desai all through the second half. Parvesh in particular, proved tough with stunning ankle holds, and a similar performance is expected from the experienced cover defender.

There is no doubt that Parvesh and Sunil have the firepower to dismantle Bengal’s raiding force, however, they need good support from the corner defenders Sumit Malik and Ankit.

Key Giant

Parvesh Bhainswal

After picking up his second High 5 of the Season against Telugu Titans, all eyes will be on Parvesh Bhainswal when he steps on the mat. Parvesh has taken 8 tackle points in the last two matches against the Warriors. In what has been built up as a battle between Bengal’s attack against our defence, we expect another Parvesh masterclass on Wednesday.

Head-To-Head

In three matches against Bengal Warriors, the Giants have been victorious on two occasions. The other match was a thriller at the EKA Arena by TransStadia which ended all square in Season 5, with the scoreline reading 26-26. It’s expected to be another nerve-wracking battle as the Giants look to get their first home win in Season 7, while Bengal will try everything to spoil the party.

Line-up

With the opposition raiders mostly targeting our corner defenders, Manpreet could try a different defensive combination against the Warriors by bringing in Ruturaj Koravi in place of Ankit.

Sachin Tanwar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Sumit Malik, Rohit Gulia, Sunil Kumar(C), Ruturaj Koravi, More GB.