The stage is set for the top two Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Zone A sides -- Gujarat Fortunegiants and Puneri Paltan -- to showcase their dominance in the group when they face off at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday.
On a roll after registering their fourth win in five outings, Pune will take a lot of heart from their narrow 47-42 win over two-time defending champions Patna Pirates on Sunday when they face a formidable Gujarat side.
It was once again the ever dependable all-rounder Sandeep Narwal, who single-handedly kept his team ahead of Patna while the likes of Rajesh Mondal and Deepak Hooda chipped in.
Skipper Deepak Hooda will look for assistance from Sandeep and Rajesh in raiding as they aim to finish the Lucknow leg on a winning note.
On the other hand, having won all their home leg matches in Ahmedabad, Gujarat are certainly a side brimming with confidence.
With six wins from nine matches, Gujarat are comfortably placed atop Zone A.
With Fazel Atrachali and Abozar Mighani covering both the corners, Gujarat can be regarded as one of the most formidable defensive units.
Gujarat skipper and star raider Sukesh Hegde has brilliantly come out of the shadows of Rahul Chaudhari, under whom he played in the previous season.
The Pune franchise will also be wary of the threat from 18-year-old Fortunegiants raider Sachin, who has stepped up to the occasion and will be eager to do some more damage to the rival camp.
--IANS
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