Haryana Steelers' home leg kicks off against Gujarat Fortunegiants

After curtains were drawn over the first leg in VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 6, the action takes us to Sonepat next, as home team Haryana Steelers kick off the second leg against last year’s finalists Gujarat Fortunegiants.

Haryana Steelers will be looking to treat the home fans with their first win of the campaign and be confident going into the game against the Gujarat Fortunegiants as they are yet to lose against them in three matches so far.

Gujarat Fortunegiants displayed the grit and tenacity, that took them all the way to the final in Season 5, in a hard-fought tie against Dabang Delhi K.C. in their opening match of this campaign and will look to put one up in their wins column with a victory against Haryana Steelers.

Match 11, Zone A: Haryana Steelers vs. Gujarat Fortunegiants

Head-to-head: Haryana Steelers 2 - 0 Gujarat Fortunegiants. 1 tie.

Haryana Steelers made it to the Super Playoffs in their debut campaign but lost out to eventual champions Patna Pirates in Eliminator 2. Now in their sophomore year, Haryana Steelers will be looking to become only the fourth different team to win VIVO Pro Kabaddi and they certainly have the team to do so. Their raiding trio of Monu Goyat, Wazir Singh and Vikash Khandola is certainly one of the most fearsome units in the league. Haryana Steelers will be hoping that their offence, along with their defence that includes young Kuldeep Singh, Vikash and veteran Sachin Shingade will bring the title home.    

Gujarat Fortunegiants were a dominant outfit in their debut campaign in Season 5, setting the all-time points record with 87 in the league stage. They put in another dominant display against Bengal Warriors in Qualifier 1, as they won that match by a margin by 25 points. They eventually succumbed in the final to Patna Pirates but that doesn’t take away from the fact that their debut campaign was a thing of beauty. They return in Season 6 hoping to capture the title that they came so close to winning in their first attempt and they certainly have the roster to achieve that feat. Young captain Sunil Kumar, rookie Ruturaj Shivaji Koravi and all-rounder Rohit Gulia will lead the way for the team in defence and raider Sachin along with K. Prapanjan will look to drive the team in offence.

The big battle

Monu Goyat vs. Sunil Kumar

In a battle of prodigies, two of the game’s brightest young stars face off against each other to lead their team to a maiden victory in Season 6 of VIVO Pro Kabaddi. Monu Goyat was one of finds of the season from the last campaign, as he piled up 191 raid points as the secondary raider at the Patna Pirates in Season 5, finishing fourth in the list of Best Raiders. Such is the Gujarat Fortunegiants’ trust in Sunil Kumar, they made the 21-year-old the youngest captain in VIVO Pro Kabaddi history. The youngster managed 57 tackle points for the Gujarat Fortunegiants, as many as then-captain Fazel Atrachali did, and was a big reason why the team were so successful in Season 5. When these two young talents collide on Friday, expect fireworks.

Key Khiladi

Wazir Singh – Haryana Steelers

The veteran raider clocked 300 career points in VIVO Pro Kabaddi against Puneri Paltan in Haryana Steelers’ opening match and the team will be hoping that Wazir Singh would score several more for them over the course of the season. While that expectation may be steep, Singh’s unquestionable qualities as a leader and a raider will go a long way in deciding how far Haryana Steelers go this season.

Rohit Gulia – Gujarat Fortunegiants

A product of the Future Kabaddi Heroes program, Rohit Gulia was a consistent contributor for Gujarat Fortunegiants in his debut campaign in Season 5. Gulia is a dependable raider in Do-or-Die situations on account of his fearless raiding style, making him a valued asset and a key player for his team.