UP Yoddha
The addition of Pardeep Narwal has not been the hit that UP Yoddha expected as the veteran raider has struggled to make a big impact in PKL 2021-22 so far. He is always going to get raid points to his name because of the sheer number of raids that he makes but he has not been able to dominate opponents as he did in his prime. In fact, we think Surender Gill is actually the better raider right now and the player that UP Yoddha should be concentrating on more.
Nitesh Kumar is struggling to get into form and without him at his best, the defense seems a lot more vulnerable than usual. UP Yoddha is a team that has some very big names on its roster but they are underperforming. They can turn things around but for the time being, we are going to judge them on their current form and not what they have done in the past.
Gujarat Fortune Giants
The Gujarat Fortune Giants played a fantastic game in the previous match against Dabang Delhi KC. They managed to keep Naveen Kumar somewhat in check and absolutely crushed the rest of the team. In fact, had it not been for Naveen Kumar, the Gujarat Giants would have come away the winners. Still, it was great to see the Gujarat defense back at its best as that is something that seems to be the hallmark of the team. Sunil Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, and Rakesh have been keeping all the raiders from the opposition quiet.
The raiding department is still getting into its stride and we think the loss of Sachin is a big one. They must hope that Rakesh Narwal and Sonu Singh are able to find the kind of consistency that will see the Gujarat Giants win more matches.
UP Yoddha and the Gujarat Giants have the exact same number of tackles right now (24), however, the Giants appear to be the better defensive team by far.
We are going to bet on the Gujarat Fortune Giants to win. They have a very strong defense that is going to be full of confidence after its performance against Dabang Delhi KC. Now, a struggling Patna Pirates team should be easy meat.
Bet on the Gujarat Fortune Giants to win.