The low-lying Telugu Titans will lock horns with the resurging Gujarat Giants in ‘Match 104’ of the Pro Kabaddi League in what promises to be a cracker of a contest. The two teams will meet at the Sheraton Grand Convention Centre in Bengaluru and failed to register victories in the previous matches.
How have they done so far?
In the 17 matches, the Gujarat Giants have won 6 matches while losing 8 matches. They have tied 3 matches and have accumulated 44 points but a score difference of -20 will be a concern for them. They have 3 out of their last 5 matches.
Telugu Titans have won just one match in this edition of the PKL and are having an unforgettable season. They are languishing at the bottom of the points table and have been winless in their last 6 matches. Although, they tied the previous match against defending champions Bengal Warriors in an exciting contest with Ankit Beniwal and Rajnish helping them to share the honors to tie the match 32-32.
Head to Head Record
The Telugu Titans and the Gujarat Giants have faced each other 5 times in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League and the Titans have won a solitary match while the rest of the matches have been won by the Giants.
Earlier this season, the Giants trounced the Telugu Titans 40-22 in what was a comprehensive win for the Maninder Singh-coached franchise. Rakesh Sangroya starred with a 16-point effort in the victory and he was ably supported by Mahendra Ganesh Rajput and Parvesh Bhainswal.
Key Players
Rajnish: The raider has been a lone wolf on the mat for the Telugu Titans this season. Siddharth Desa has missed most of the matches due to injury while Rohit Kumar has been a shadow of the player we have witnessed in the past.
Ankit Beniwal has blown hot and cold and in such a scenario, Rajnish has been the lone hope for the franchise. Even in the previous match against the U.P. Yoddha, Rajnish picked up 12 raid points but lacked support from his teammates.
He also picked up 12 points in the previous match against the Gujarat Giants even though his franchise was trounced by a margin of 18 points.
Parvesh Bhainswal: A lot was talked about the Gujarat Giants’ defense leading up to the season, but the defensive unit of the franchise has fared poorly in this season.
Parvesh Bhainswal has been inconsistent as well with 33 tackle points in this season but a lot will depend on his performance against the Telugu Titans.
Against a struggling raiding unit of the Titans, Parvesh and co. will have an opportunity to fare better and enhance their confidence if they keep Rajnish quiet.
Predicted Starting 7s
The Giants faced a 36-31 defeat against the inaugural champions Jaipur Pink Panthers
Telugu Titans: Rajnish, Ankit Beniwal, Adarsh T, Surinder Singh, C Arun, Sandeep Kandola, Akash Choudhary
Gujarat Giants: Ajay Kumar. Sunil Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Rakesh Narwal, Rakesh Sangroya, Pradeep Kumar, Girish Maruti Ernak
Prediction
Gujarat Giants have been gaining momentum with 3 wins in their last 5 matches. Although they encountered a defeat against the Jaipur Pink Panthers they will hold an advantage against the Telugu Titans who have won just a solitary match in the tournament so far. The Titans have looked clueless in both the departments off late and will be hoping to secure just the second win of the edition.