Bengaluru Bulls
Four losses in their last six matches show the kind of struggles the Bengaluru Bulls have had to face in the recent weeks. They have slipped to the fifth place in the standings another loss in this match will make them vulnerable to slipping out of the qualification zone.
The most recent match that the Bengaluru Bulls played was against the Jaipur Pink Panthers and they ended up winning quite comfortably by 11 points. Rohit Kumar returned to form with 13 points to his name while Pawan Kumar Sehrawat continued to make life difficult for the raiders.
The Bengaluru Bulls would be very happy to see Rohit Kumar strike some form since it helps relieve the pressure away from Pawan Kumar Sehrawat.
Mahender Singh, Saurabh Nandal, and Amit Sheoran will be leading the defense for the Bulls. They know that the Gujarat raiders have struggled in recent matches and will not want to make things any easier for them.
A good start to the home leg will help the Bengaluru Bulls build some much-needed momentum and climb up to third in the league standings.
Gujarat Fortunegiants
Seven losses in their last eight matches have pushed the Gujarat Fortunegiants to a precarious position in PKL 2019. The road to qualification looks tough for them at the moment, a huge fall for a team considered to be one of the title contenders before the start of the tournament.
PKL 2019 is proving to be very tough for the Gujarat Fortunegiants and they must start changing things around now if they have to have a shot at making the PKL playoffs.
Sachin Tanwar seems to be injured and may not play any role in this match which puts the onus on Rohit Gulia, GB More, and Abolfazl Maghsoudlou to provide the raid points needed. We have seen Rohit Gulia try his best but not be successful in the previous matches and maybe it is time for GB More to play as the lead raider. He cannot do anything worse and it may just end up sparking something different for the Gujarat Fortunegiants.
Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar have started to slack in the defense in recent matches. Perhaps the consistent run of losses or the lack of raiding support has demotivated them but they need to get back to their best.
A water-tight defense will keep the Gujarat Fortunegiants in close proximity to the other team from where their raiders can try to get a win.
There have been five matches played between the Gujarat Fortunegiants and the Bengaluru Bulls. Each team has won two while the remaining one was tied. Interestingly, one of the wins for the Gujarat Fortunegiants came this season.
It is difficult to see how the Gujarat Fortunegiants can turn things around but this is the same side that has dominated the PKL for two seasons. We think they can neutralize the raiding threat of the Bengaluru Bulls and find enough raid points of their own to get a win.
Bet on the Gujarat Fortunegiants to win.