Pro Kabaddi League season six will see a new team emerge as the champion as both Gujarat Fortunegiants and Bengaluru Bulls have never won a final before.
Manpreet Singh, under whose guidance the former had finished second in season five, believes his squad can go all the way this time.
“We came within touching distance of the trophy in last season’s final. We plan to lift it this time,” said Manpreet. “Our team of young talents are focussed on winning the trophy,” he added.
Proud coach
Bengaluru Bulls coach Randhir Singh said: “Not many were confident that this team would reach the finals. I am proud of the players who have made it this far.
“Now that we are here, we will definitely go for the win. The team and support staff have worked extra hard over the past few days.”
Bulls also advanced into the final once before, in season two.
The team, led by Rohit Kumar, had outsmarted GFG in a qualifier recently, though match-day performance matters more than past records. The champion team will be richer by ₹3 crore and the runner-up will get ₹1.80 crore.
Gujarat captain Sunil Kumar said: “We will be playing against Bengaluru for the third time; both Rohit and Pawan Kumar are great players.
“Our team made a few mistakes in the qualifier against them and that will not be repeated. Our defence will be good support for our raiders and there is solid teamwork.”
Bulls skipper Rohit said: “Strengthening the raiding and tightening our defence are our areas of focus. Gujarat is a young team and one cannot underestimate their tactical play.”
Gujarat’s home games were played at TransStadia Arena in Ahmedabad, in front of home fans. The home games of Bulls were shifted to Pune’s Balewadi indoor stadium this season.
The final is expected to be a thrilling affair, with a rich purse on offer, apart from individual awards based on season six performances.
