The Tamil Thalaivas will be up against the Gujarat Giants in the ‘Match 129’ of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 in a must-win encounter for the Gujarat-based franchise. The Thalaivas are already out from the race to the playoffs but they hamper Gujarat’s chances from making it into the playoffs as they are currently at the 8th position on the points table and need wins in their remaining games to stay in contention for the knockouts.
The Chennai-based team had an amazing start to the season with Manjeet and Ajinkya Pawar leading the charge, the raiders were exceptional in the early phase of the tournament but haven’t been able to help their team produce better results despite their performances in the business end of the season. Manjeet particularly has been really great for the franchise this season as he is their top raider with 159 points to his name in 21 appearances and is amongst the top ten raiders this season.
The Thalaivas are currently at the second last spot on the place on the points table and have no chance of making it into the knockout phase of the tournament. Despite being one of the most lethal defensive sides in the tournament this season, the team has lost the last five games and will be disappointed with how the league panned out for them. Sagar has a staggering 78 tackle points to his name leading the list of top defenders this season.
On the other hand, the Giants had a last-minute rejuvenation in the final phase of the tournament with three wins and a draw in their last five games. Rakesh Narwal has been one of the best raiders for their side racking up more than 100 raid points for his franchise and the team will bank on him to help the side reach the playoffs.
Gujarat is hailed for its defensive unit has been a little off-color this season as Paresh Bhainswal has been their most successful defender with 47 tackle points to his name. While the team has multiple big names in their defensive unit such as Ravinder Pahal and Girish Ernak, the superstars haven’t been able to prove their worth this season which has been one of the biggest worries for the franchise.
What have they done so far?
The Thalaivas were one of the best teams in the earlier half of the season but the lateral stages of the tournament haven’t been kind to the side as they have lost 10 of their 21 games this season. The team has been on a five-match plus losing streak and it is something they will look to fix in their final outing in the tournament against the Giants.
Gujarat have faced their ups and downs this season as the team has gone through multiple transitions in the squad this season. The team tried to shuffle their squad after things did not work out for them in the middle phase of the tournament. The Gujarat-based franchise currently has 57 points in their 20 fixtures and is coming off against a draw with the Puneri Paltan in their previous contest.
Head to Head record
The Tamil Thalaivas and Gujarat Giants have faced off against each other for a total of five games since their debut in the league. The Gujarat-based franchise has a slight upper hand over their opponents with three wins in five fixtures compared to the two wins for the Chennai-based franchise. The last game between the two sides saw the Giants emerge victorious 35-37 in one of the best thrillers of the season.
Key Players
Sagar alongside his Tamil Thalaivas teammates as they block Rohit Kumar
Sagar: Sagar has been lethal for the Thalaivas this season leading the list for the top defenders this season with 78 points to his name. He would love to end the tournament on a positive note with a win in the final contest of his PKL Season 8 campaign.
Paresh Bhainswal: This could be a great battle for Paresh to prove his worth against the best defender in the league this season, we could see both Paresh and Sagar try to outscore each other spearheading their respective defensive units. Paresh has been in fine form this season and will hope that he can take his team to the playoffs.
Predicted Starting 7’s
Tamil Thalaivas: Bhavani Rajput, Manjeet, Himanshu, Sagar, Mohit, Surjeet Singh (c), Sahil Gulia
Gujarat Giants: Sahil Kumar (c), Paresh Bhainswal, Ajay Kumar, Rakesh Narwal, Girish Ernak, Mahender Rajput, Hadi Oshtorak
Prediction
Tamil Thalaivas will look to close their campaign on a positive note while the Giants are desperate for a win to stay alive in the race to the knockout stages of the tournament. This could be one of the most interesting fixtures so far in the tournament as both sides are extremely hungry for a win.
The Thalaivas have an overall better squad that looks more balanced in comparison to their opponents and despite losses in their previous five fixtures, we expect the South Indian franchise to win this contest.