The Gujarat Fortunegiants have been phenomenal this season. It is a side that has young players in key positions and is reaping the reward of showing faith in them. Gujarat may have been held to a tie in the last match but it was a performance in which they can take pride.
There are no prizes for guessing who are the players that are leading this Gujarat Fortunegiants side’s performance charts at the moment. Sachin as the lead raider for the side and one of the leading raiders for the tournament has been unstoppable this season.
His long reach and speed make him very difficult to guard. Sachin also has shown good technique to be able to take advantage of any mistakes the defenders make.
Along with Sachin, Sunil Kumar has been one of the most important players for Gujarat on the defensive side. With 3.1 tackle points per match this season, Sunil Kumar has led the side very well. He will have a big role to play against U.P Yoddha as the side has some very decent raiders.
The wheels are coming off of the U.P Yoddha campaign and it is difficult to see them recover from this position. Just three wins and three ties from 14 matches have made qualification for the Super Playoffs next to impossible.
It is difficult for the players to lift themselves up for every single match in such a situation.
Still, one hopes that someone like Rishank Devadiga can pull off something special to spark some life into this contest. Devadiga has been the best raider for U.P Yoddha in the last five matches. He is going to have his hands full against a very good Gujarat Fortunegiants defense but he does have the talent to get through.
One of the bright spots this season for the U.P Yoddha is Nitesh Kumar. He has scored 49 tackle points this season and got three Super Tackles in the last match for U.P Yoddha. Nitesh Kumar is among the very best of the defenders in this league but he often seems to be fighting a lone battle.
Stopping Sachin and company could be the most difficult task assigned to him yet.
The only match between the two sides in the past has ended in a tie. There is no previous history as such to speak of. A look at the stats shows up some interesting things. U.P Yoddha has actually scored more raid points and tackle points in the last five matches than the Gujarat Fortunegiants but did not win a single encounter.
This shows that U.P Yoddha has been weak defensively and allowed the opposition to get away from tough situations.
The Gujarat Fortunegiants have not lost a single match at home and it is difficult to see U.P Yoddha breaking that streak. U.P Yoddha lost to the Jaipur Pink Panthers in its last match, a side that has struggled to beat anyone this season.
With seemingly everything in the Gujarat Fortunegiants favor, it is difficult to advocate backing the upset here.
Back the Gujarat Fortunegiants to win.