New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS): Iran's seasoned defender Fazel Atrachali has been named as the captain of two-time finalists in the upcoming Season 10 of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), which starts in a few days in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

The Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants have named Rohit Gulia as the vice-captain while the astute tactician and experienced Ram Mehar Singh will be the head coach.

The Gujarat Giants have been finalists twice, in 2017 and 2018, and will be keen to join an elite group of teams by bagging the prestigious PKL Season 10 title. Co-incidentally, Atrachali was part of the Giants squad when they reached the final in the 2017 season.

The 31-year-old Iranian defender has been a two-time winner of the PKL and a three-time Asian Games medallist and will look to use all his experience at the highest level to lead the charge for the Giants.

“In the PKL season 10, among all the players, Fazel is one of the most decorated players and he has won a lot of medals in his career. I have worked with Fazel before, and he is a great player, and in our mind, he was our clear choice for the captaincy for Adani’s Gujarat Giants,” said Ram Mehar Singh, Coach, Gujarat Giants.

With the likes of Rakesh and Parteek Dahiya showing plenty of promise, and the return of Fazel, the Gujarat Giants have a fair amount of talent in their ranks. Along with them, there are also the likes of Rohit and Sourav Gulia, Vikash Jaglan, Arkam Shaikh, GB More and the Iranian all-rounder Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh. With such great talent and experience at their disposal, the Gujarat Giants will aim for a solid start to the season.

Head coach Ram Mehar Singh said that the team, which had been based out of New Delhi, had been doing everything possible to ensure they peak at the right time and are in form.

“Gujarat Giants is a very big team and it is my pleasure to be back in the team. I am delighted to be leading the team and, in the squad, we have a lot of youngsters. I know we all work well together and as a captain that makes my job easier. And I am happy about how things are shaping up,” said Fazel Atrachali.

The Gujarat Giants will begin their season with a game against Telegu Titans on December 2, which is the opening day of the tournament. All the games in Ahmedabad will be played at The TransStadia. The 10th season of the Pro Kabaddi League also marks a return to the caravan format after three years.