Our victory over the Puneri Paltan was a hard-fought battle. In what seemed to be a close win over them, our team showed persistence to pull it off.  While Sachin Tanwar was the top scorer for us, it was Ajay Kumar who got us clear of the Puneri Paltan and brought us well within reach of our first victory with a 4-point Super Raid. 

Multiple Giants stepped up to ensure that we got our first win of the season. In the first half, Sachin Tanwar kept us in the game every time Paltan got their noses slightly ahead. The game went to half-time with both teams on 15 points apiece.

In the second half, our team trailed in the early minutes. Enter Ajay Kumar. Coming off the bench, he performed brilliantly. With his vital 4-point Super Raid he propelled us to a winning position. It wasn’t just the raiding department that contributed, the defensive unit had their moments too. Parvesh Bhainswal in particular was right on the money with his tackles, missing out on a well-deserved High 5 by just 1 point. Ruturaj too provided ample support. Surprisingly, Sachin Tanwar was our second-highest scoring defender with 3 tackle points including a Super Tackle!

Now, we face a rejuvenated Tamil Thalaivas, who won their last battle against the Puneri Paltan as well. Ajay Thakur compiled a match-high 12 raid points and Manjeet Chhillar picked up 4 tackle points. Our raiders will be wary of the stalwart’s defensive capabilities, and undoubtedly would have hatched a plan to combat it.

Our team had a week’s time to prepare for the game. They will be well-rested and mentally and physically ready to notch up their second win of the season.

Battle within the Battle: Sachin Tanwar vs. Ajay Thakur

There’s no refuting the fact that Ajay Thakur has been one of the best raiders the league has seen. But, there’s also no denying that Sachin Tanwar is a special talent building a strong reputation for himself in just his second season. We are in for some serious entertainment if these two get going for their respective teams! It will be interesting to see who wins this battle of The Present vs The Future.

Key Giants

Sunil Kumar

The defence will play a key role against one of the best raiders of the league. Sunil Kumar, who leads the pack, did not have a good game against the Puneri Paltan. But, our skipper is a strong character, and will do all he can to bounce back with a High 5 in this encounter.

Prapanjan

We all know of the havoc Prapanjan is capable of wreaking. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to fire on all cylinders up until now as we’ve only seen glimpses of his talent. He’d love to set that right with a massive game soon. Look out, Thalaivas!

VIVO PKL 6, Match 34: Gujarat Fortune Giants vs Tamil Thalaivas, 9 PM IST

Venue: Patliputra Sports Complex, Patna

Broadcast: Star Sports Network