Gujarat Giants: PKL History, Achievements and Social Media
Gujarat Giants, a professional kabaddi team based in Ahmedabad, has been an important part of Pro Kabaddi League since 2017. Owned by Adani Sportsline, the sports division of Adani Group, the team plays their home matches at The Arena by TransStadia. Over eight seasons, the Giants have seen many highs and lows, reaching two finals but still searching for their first championship title.
PKL Season 5 (2017)
Gujarat entered the Pro Kabaddi League in 2017 under the name Gujarat Fortune Giants. Their first season turned out to be special. The team made history by becoming the first franchise to qualify for the playoffs with an excellent record of 15 wins in 22 matches. They topped the Zone A points table with 87 points and a score difference of 126.
The Giants started their campaign with a strong performance. In one early match, they crushed U Mumba 45-23, with Ranjit Chandran scoring 11 raid points while Fazel Atrachali contributed six tackle points. The team’s defense and attack worked together perfectly throughout the season.
Their journey to the finals was impressive. In Qualifier 1, they defeated Bengal Warriors 42-17 to book their place in the final. However, the final against Patna Pirates did not go as planned. Patna Pirates dominated the match and won 55-38, with Pardeep Narwal and Monu Goyat leading the charge.
Despite the loss, Season 5 was a success for Gujarat. Sachin emerged as their top raider with 132 successful raids and 190 total points. Fazel Atrachali was the backbone of their defense, and the team finished their debut season as runners-up.
PKL Season 6 (2018)
Season 6 brought changes to Gujarat’s lineup. Sunil Kumar was made captain, and the team decided not to retain Fazel Atrachali. Even with these changes, Gujarat continued to perform at the highest level. They topped Zone A once again with 17 wins out of 22 matches, collecting 93 points with a score difference of 117.
The Giants were unstoppable during the league stage. They became the first team to qualify for the playoffs and looked like strong favorites for the title. In matches like the one against Puneri Paltan, they won comfortably 35-20. Against Dabang Delhi, they secured a 45-38 victory.
Their playoff journey started well. In Qualifier 1, they faced Bengaluru Bulls but lost 29-41 despite Sachin scoring important points for Gujarat. This loss sent them to Qualifier 2, where they defeated UP Yoddha 38-31 to reach the final.
The final was played on January 5, 2019, in Mumbai. Bengaluru Bulls, led by Pawan Sehrawat’s brilliant performance, defeated Gujarat 38-33 to win their first PKL title. Once again, Gujarat finished as runners-up.
Sachin continued his excellent form from Season 5. He scored 159 successful raids in 23 games and earned 190 raid points with 7 Super 10s. On the defensive side, Parvesh Bhainswal was outstanding with 82 successful tackles in 25 games and 5 High 5s.
PKL Season 7 (2019)
After two successful seasons, PKL Season 7 turned out to be difficult for Gujarat. Led by captain Sunil Kumar, the team finished in 9th place with only 7 wins, 13 losses, and 2 ties in 22 matches. They collected just 51 points with a score difference of 18.
The season started well. Gujarat won their opening match against Bengaluru Bulls 42-24, with Sachin scoring six raid points and captain Sunil Kumar notching up six tackle points. They won their first three matches and looked strong.
However, things changed quickly. The team lost six matches in a row, and this bad phase hurt their chances of making the playoffs. In their home leg at TransStadia in Ahmedabad, they lost to Tamil Thalaivas 28-34 despite playing in front of their fans. They also faced a loss to U Mumba, who handed them their first defeat of the season with strong performances from Surinder Singh and Rohit Baliyan.
The Giants finished their season on a positive note. In their last match, they defeated Telugu Titans 48-38, with Sonu scoring a career-best 17 raid points.
Rohit Gulia was their top raider with 132 raid points across 22 games, achieving four Super 10s. On defense, Sunil Kumar secured six super tackles in 18 games. This was the first time Gujarat missed the playoffs since joining PKL.
PKL Season 8 (2021-22)
PKL Season 8 started in December 2021 after a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For Gujarat Giants, it was a season of getting back to winning ways after missing the playoffs in 2019. They won 10 out of 22 games and secured a playoff spot with 67 points, finishing 4th in the standings.
The team showed better balance throughout the season. In one match, Rakesh was the star as Gujarat outclassed Telugu Titans 40-22, with Rakesh scoring a Super 10 (16 points). Against Bengaluru Bulls, they won 40-36.
However, the season also had close and tough matches. Against Puneri Paltan, Gujarat played out a thrilling 31-31 tie, with Ajay Kumar’s final raid earning three points to level the scores. They also faced a heavy loss against Patna Pirates, losing 23-43, with Mohammadreza Chiyaneh scoring eight tackle points for Patna.
In the playoffs, Gujarat faced Bengaluru Bulls in Eliminator 2 but could not advance further. Despite the loss, they had bounced back from their poor Season 7 performance.
Parvesh Bhainswal led the team in tackle points with 56 in 23 games and recorded 10 super tackles. Girish Maruti Ernak secured 4 High 5s throughout the season. The defense was strong, helping Gujarat return to the playoffs.
PKL Season 9 (2022-23)
Before Season 9, Gujarat made coaching changes. Ram Mehar Singh, who had guided Patna Pirates to victory in Season 5, replaced Manpreet Singh as head coach. Chandran Ranjit was given the captaincy.
Gujarat started their campaign with a draw against Tamil Thalaivas. During the Bengaluru leg, they won 3 matches but also lost 3. Then their captain Chandran Ranjit got injured, and Dong Geon Lee became the stand-in captain.
The team faced a difficult final leg with 4 consecutive losses. However, they bounced back strongly at the end, winning 4 matches and drawing 1 in their last 5 games. They finished 8th in the points table with 9 wins out of 22 games and 59 points.
One of their best performances came against Puneri Paltan, winning 47-37. In another exciting match against Jaipur Pink Panthers, they fought back from a big deficit to tie the game 51-51 in the final moments, with Sonu scoring 14 points and captain Lee contributing 10 points.
Parteek Dahiya was the star performer for Gujarat. He scored 183 points during the season, making him the team’s top scorer. Rakesh contributed 131 points before his injury. Chandran Ranjit managed 95 raid points while also handling captaincy duties. The Giants had the best raid percentage (44.92%) in the tournament. On defense, Rinku Narwal scored 38 tackle points.
PKL Season 10 (2023-24)
Season 10 was one of Gujarat’s best after their first two seasons. They retained core players like Manuj, Sonu Jaglan, Rakesh Sungroya, Rohan Singh, and Parteek Dahiya. The big news was bringing back Fazel Atrachali, who had played for Gujarat in Season 5, for 1.80 crore.
The Giants started the season with three consecutive victories. In their opening match, they defeated Telugu Titans 38-32, with Sonu scoring 11 raid points and Fazel Atrachali contributing with important tackles. They also beat U Mumba 39-37, with Sonu earning another Super 10 and Fazel celebrating his 100th match as captain with a win.
Gujarat continued to show good form. Against Bengal Warriors, they won 41-32, with Parteek Dahiya starring with 13 points. However, they also faced tough losses. Patna Pirates beat them 32-20 in a defensive masterclass at Patliputra Indoor Stadium.
The team finished 4th in the points table with 13 wins and 9 losses, earning 70 points. They made it to the playoffs but lost in the Eliminator to Haryana Steelers.
Fazel Atrachali made history by becoming the first defender in PKL to surpass 450 tackle points. Sombir scored 52 tackle points, including eight super tackles and four High 5s. Deepak Singh had 43 tackle points in just 14 games.
Parteek Dahiya set a new record for most raid points in a single game, scoring 22 points against Bengal Warriors. He finished the season with 130 raid points in 20 games, including nine super raids and six Super 10s. Sonu and Rakesh Sungroya also made important contributions throughout the season.
PKL Season 11 (2024)
Season 11 was one of the most challenging for Gujarat Giants. They finished 11th in the standings with only 5 wins, 14 losses, and 3 ties in 22 matches. They collected just 38 points with a score difference of -152.
The season started on a positive note. Gujarat won their opening match against Bengaluru Bulls 36-32, with Parteek Dahiya leading from the front with 8 points. However, they could not maintain this form.
Gujarat went through a seven-match losing streak during the season. One heavy defeat came against UP Yoddhas, who beat them 59-23, with Gagan Gowda scoring 19 raid points. They also lost to Haryana Steelers 23-39.
The team finally ended their losing streak with a massive 47-28 win over Bengal Warriorz. Guman Singh scored an amazing 17 points, while Himanshu and Jitender Yadav both recorded High 5s. Against U Mumba, they won 34-33 in a close match, with Guman Singh scoring a Super 10 and Rakesh adding 10 points.
Despite these wins, Gujarat could not climb the table. In their final matches, they lost narrowly to Dabang Delhi 35-41, who were on their way to securing a semi-final spot.
Guman Singh was the shining light for Gujarat in Season 11. He scored 161 points in 22 matches, with 159 being raid points. His performance included six Super 10s and four Super Raids. He scored 12 points against Puneri Paltan and 11 points against Haryana Steelers. Himanshu Singh also played an important role with 59 points.
PKL Season 12 (2025)
For Season 12, Gujarat Giants made big changes. They released 16 players and kept only four – Parteek Dahiya, Rakesh, Himanshu Singh, and Himanshu Jaglan. The team appointed Jaivir Sharma as their new head coach, with Varinder Singh as assistant coach.
The biggest move was signing Iranian all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh for a record-breaking 2.23 crore, making him one of the most expensive players in PKL history. Shadloui had been the MVP in the previous season and played a key role in Puneri Paltan’s maiden title in Season 10.
Gujarat’s squad for Season 12 includes raiders like Rakesh, Parteek Dahiya, Himanshu Singh, Himanshu, and new signing V. Ajith Kumar. Their defense includes Lucky Sharma, Shubham Kumar, Rohit Nandal, and Iranian player Milad Jabbari, alongside the star all-rounder Shadloui.
So far in Season 12, Gujarat has struggled. After 18 matches, they are placed 11th in the standings with 6 wins and 12 losses, having scored only 12 points. They recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this campaign when they beat UP Yoddhas twice, with captain Rakesh Sungroya delivering a career-best performance of 20 raid points in one match.
However, they have also faced heavy defeats. Telugu Titans beat them 30-25, and Bengaluru Bulls handed them a 28-point loss. Against Dabang Delhi, they lost 31-45 despite putting up a fight.
The team’s raiding performance has been poor this season, with the lowest average raid points per match and lowest raid strike rate in PKL 12. Rakesh has shown good form recently with four Super 10s but has been inconsistent. Shadloui has improved after a slow start, changing his tackle strike rate from 29% in the first eight matches to 53% in the next five.
Season-Wise Standings
| Season | Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Total Points | League Finish |
| PKL 5 (2017) | 22 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 87 | 1st (Runner-up in Final) |
| PKL 6 (2018) | 22 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 93 | 1st (Runner-up in Final) |
| PKL 7 (2019) | 22 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 51 | 9th |
| PKL 8 (2021-22) | 22 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 67 | 4th (Lost in Eliminator 2) |
| PKL 9 (2022-23) | 22 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 59 | 8th |
| PKL 10 (2023-24) | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 70 | 4th (Lost in Eliminator) |
| PKL 11 (2024) | 22 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 38 | 11th |
| PKL 12 (2025) | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 11th |
Key Players Throughout the Years
Gujarat Giants have had many talented players who contributed to their success over the years.
Sachin was the team’s first big star. In Season 5, he scored 132 successful raids and 190 total points. He continued his excellent form in Season 6 with 159 successful raids and 190 raid points, along with 7 Super 10s.
Fazel Atrachali was the defensive leader in Season 5, helping Gujarat reach the final. He returned to the team in Season 10 and became the first defender in PKL history to cross 450 tackle points.
Sunil Kumar served as captain in Season 6 and Season 7. He was a solid defender who led the team to another final in 2018 and provided stability during the difficult Season 7.
Parvesh Bhainswal was one of the best defenders for Gujarat. In Season 6, he had 82 successful tackles in 25 games and 5 High 5s, ranking him second-highest in the league for tackle points. In Season 8, he led the team with 56 tackle points in 23 games and 10 super tackles.
Rohit Gulia was an important all-rounder who could raid and defend. He was the top raider in Season 7 with 132 raid points and four Super 10s.
Chandran Ranjit played for Gujarat in multiple seasons. He scored 95 raid points in Season 9 while also serving as captain.
Rakesh has been a key raider for Gujarat in recent seasons. He scored 131 points in Season 9 before his injury. In Season 10, he contributed 5 raid points in the opening match and made important raids throughout the season. In Season 12, he has scored 103 raid points in 13 matches with four Super 10s, though his form has been up and down.
Parteek Dahiya has been Gujarat’s most reliable raider in recent years. He scored 183 points in Season 9, making him the top scorer. In Season 10, he set a PKL record by scoring 22 raid points in a single match against Bengal Warriors, finishing with 130 raid points, nine super raids, and six Super 10s. He has continued as a key player in Seasons 11 and 12.
Guman Singh was the star of Season 11 for Gujarat. He scored 161 points in 22 matches, with six Super 10s and four Super Raids, often carrying the team’s raiding burden alone.
Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh joined Gujarat for Season 12 as their most expensive signing. The Iranian all-rounder brings championship experience and can contribute in both raiding and defense.
Other important players over the years include GB More, Mahendra Rajput, Rinku Narwal, Dong Geon Lee, Sonu, Girish Ernak, Ravinder Pahal, Hadi Oshtorak, Sombir, Deepak Singh, Himanshu Singh, and many others who played their part in Gujarat’s journey.
Social Media Presence
Gujarat Giants have built a strong digital presence across multiple social media platforms. The team is active on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), and other platforms to connect with their fans.
On Instagram, Gujarat Giants have 288,000 followers, placing them 10th among the 12 PKL teams. While this is below teams like Bengaluru Bulls (1 million followers) and Tamil Thalaivas (585,000), Gujarat maintains regular engagement with their fanbase through match highlights, player features, and behind-the-scenes content.
The team’s Facebook page has approximately 392,000 likes and 401,000 followers. On this platform, they share match updates, training videos, and interactive content with their supporters. Facebook has been one of their stronger platforms for fan engagement.
On Twitter (X), Gujarat Giants have around 49,000 followers. They use this platform for live match updates, quick highlights, and announcements about the team.
According to data from October 2024, Gujarat Giants had a total of 748,000 followers across all social media platforms combined – including 254,000 on Instagram, 407,000 on Facebook, 49,400 on X, and 37,600 on Threads.
The team is owned by Adani Sportsline, and their principal sponsor for recent seasons has been ACC (Adani Cement). The ACC logo appears on the front of Gujarat Giants’ matchday shirts. They also have partnerships with Fortune and InCred as sponsors.
While Gujarat Giants may not have the largest social media following in PKL, they maintain consistent engagement with their fans. The team shares content regularly, including match highlights, player interviews, training sessions, and fan interactions. Their anthem “Garjega Gujarat” was sung by Daler Mehandi and Gujarati folk singer Aditya Gadhvi, connecting with their regional fanbase.
The Giants’ social media team focuses on creating content that keeps fans updated about team news, player performances, and upcoming matches. During match days, they provide live updates and post-match analysis to keep their followers engaged.
Gujarat Giants have had an interesting journey in Pro Kabaddi League since 2017. They made a strong start by reaching the finals in their first two seasons but could not win the championship. After a difficult period in Season 7 when they missed the playoffs for the first time, they bounced back in Season 8 and reached the playoffs again in Season 10.
The Giants are still searching for their first PKL championship title. With their history of reaching finals and making playoffs, they have shown they can compete at the highest level. The team continues to work towards bringing the trophy to Ahmedabad.
