Name: Girish Maruti Ernak

Team: Puneri Paltan

Position: Defender

Puneri Paltan picked up the first win of their home leg after a 43-24 victory over U Mumba in the Maharashtra derby at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Saturday. Pune were deserved winners after a commanding display saw their defence and attack function seamlessly.

Defender Girish Maruti Ernak was the leader in the defensive unit and helped his team’s cause with eight tackle points in the game. He attempted a total of eight tackles, only one of which ended unsuccessfully. A solid presence on the mat, Ernak also completed one super tackle.

Ernak will now have to replicate this performance for the rest of his side’s home leg if Pune are to leapfrog Gujarat Fortunegiants at the top of Zone A. His High 5 is definitely good for his confidence and stands him in good stead for the rest of the Pune leg.