The preparations for the 10th season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) have kicked off with a bang for the Adani's Gujarat Giants as they have assembled a strong squad for the competition by signing on impactful players during the two-day auction in Mumbai. The Gujarat Giants squad will be headlined by the likes of Fazel Atrachali, Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh and Rohit Gulia. Previously, Fazel has turned out for the Gujarat Giants in 2017, and has also been coached by the dynamic Ram Mehar Singh at the Patna Pirates.
"I would say 90% of our auction plan was successful on Day 1. We were determined to pick either of Mohammadreza Shadloui or Fazel Atrachali. We have seen how Fazel fared at the international level, winning the gold medal at the Asian Games in 2018. I have no doubts in his leadership skills; he has the natural experience and has successfully captained teams in the PKL in the past couple of years," quoted Ram Mehar Singh while singing praises of their top buy at the Season 10 auction.
With the very astute Ram Mehar Singh coaching the Gujarat Giants, the squad has one of the best brains in the business behind them. The very successful Ram Mehar Singh had led the Patna Pirates to two consecutive finals, winning the 2017 edition of the tournament as well. Going into season 10 of the PKL, Ram Mehar will draw upon all his experience, as he looks to drive the Gujarat Giants towards the title.
"Our target for Season 10 will be to give the fans the joy of winning the title. We will focus, train and try to deliver our best to make it happen. Our fans' hopes and support will surely help us succeed," the coach said while revealing the team's targets for the season.
The Gujarat Giants have also brought on board Arkam Shaikh, Sombir, Vikas Jaglan, Sourav Gulia, Deepak Rajender Singh, Ravi Kumar and More G B among others. Meanwhile, they have also retained Parteek Dahiya, Sonu Jaglan and Rakesh, all of whom are well known for their abilities to pick up plenty of points during a contest.
Based out of Ahmedabad, the Gujarat Giants will return to their home venue this season for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt. And the comforts of home is an exciting thought according to Ram Mehar, who believes the players will be further encouraged and inspired to put on a brilliant show in front of their fans.
"The feeling of playing in front of the fans is something cannot be explained in words. It's the same for the fans. When they'll watch Adani's Gujarat Giants play live in Gujarat, we'll have a great support. I would like to request the fans to keep supporting us like they have done in the past and we will try to deliver as per the expectations set for us," Ram Mehar Singh concluded.
Gujarat Giants Full Squad:
Raiders: More GB, Sonu, Parteek Dahiya, Rakesh, Jagdeep, Nitin
Defenders: Fazel Atrachali, Sombir, Sourav Gulia, Deepak Rajender Singh, Ravi Kumar, Nitesh, Manuj
All-rounders: Rohit Gulia, Mohammad Esmail Nabibakhsh, Arkam Shaikh, Vikas Jaglan, Jitender Yadav, Rohan Singh, Balaji D.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)