Telugu Titans are one of the most popular teams in the Pro Kabaddi League. They have a huge fan base in Hyderabad as well as in the other parts of the country.
The Hyderabad-based franchise was the home to Pro Kabaddi’s poster boy Rahul Chaudhari for six seasons. However, as the team could not win a single trophy, the team management released him from the squad.
The Titans missed a playoffs berth by a close margin in the first season, but they made it to the second round of season two and season four. Unfortunately, the Titans could not qualify for the final of either season. Their performances have been quite ordinary in the last three seasons as the Titans have finished in the bottom half of the standings.
The picks
Rahul Chaudhari played a significant role in the team’s rise during the first few seasons. He led the Telugu Titans’ raiding unit in six seasons and scored 825 raid points. Chaudhari’s talent assisted the Titans in qualifying for the semifinals of season two and season four. Because of his raiding skills, Telugu Titans often scripted unbelievable comebacks in the Pro Kabaddi League. Thus, there is not a single reason to leave him out of the all-time seven.
Deepak Niwas Hooda is the second automatic choice for this all-time seven. The all-rounder started his PKL journey as a part of the Titans squad.
He played 29 games for Telugu Titans, where he amassed 147 raid points for the side. Besides, he also contributed 38 tackle points to the team’s score across two seasons. Surprisingly, the franchise released him from the squad in season three.
Telugu Titans have always had a weak defense, but Vishal Bhardwaj has been a player who has played with some consistency for the team. The left corner defender has been with the franchise since the fourth season. He became the first defender in Pro Kabaddi League history to score over 60 tackle points in three consecutive seasons by breaching the milestone in season five, six, and seven. He has scored 199 tackle points in 60 games for Telugu Titans. In fifteen matches, the youngster has scored five or more tackle points, while he has also executed 21 super tackles.
The debate
Another problem that has persisted with Telugu Titans over the last few years is the absence of a proper supporting raider. Rahul Chaudhari faced this issue in a few seasons, while Siddharth Desai did not find enough support in season seven when he was leading the raiding attack. For the third raider’s spot in this team, Siddharth Desai will be the outright pick because he scored more points than Sukesh Hedge, Meraj Sheykh, or Nilesh Salunke playing in a season for Telugu Titans. Desai in the initial matches, but he ended the season with 217 raid points in 22 games. A raiding attack featuring Siddharth Desai, Deepak Hooda, and Rahul Chaudhari would give nightmares to any defensive unit.
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Talking about Telugu Titans’ defense now, Vishal Bhardwaj has already taken the left corner position. For the right corner position, the team’s current skipper Abozar Mohajermighani is the best choice. He was the twelfth best defender in season six, whereas Abozar also scored 39 tackle points for Telugu Titans last year. The Iranian defender has registered five High 5s for the team.
The cover positions are still vacant. Since not many defenders have done well for Telugu Titans at these positions, all-rounder Meraj Sheykh gets the left cover spot. The Iranian all-rounder made an immediate impact after joining the Telugu Titans as he aggregated 86 points for the Titans, a majority of them coming through his raiding abilities.
Last but not least, the team’s first captain Rajaguru Subramian takes the right cover spot. As mentioned ahead, there are not many options available for the cover defenders. Rajaguru captained the team in the first season. He played two seasons for the Titans, scoring 36 tackle points. Rajaguru also executed three super tackles.
Telugu Titans will look to work on their defense in the upcoming season because their corner defenders are fine, but the cover defenders have never performed consistently. Like Gujarat Fortune Giants have the magical pair of Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal as their cover defenders, Telugu Titans, will also have to hunt for a deadly cover defenders’ combination in the next auction.
Playing Seven Stats for Telugu Titans
Left Corner - Vishal Bhardwaj
Matches - 60, Tackle Points - 199
Left In - Siddharth Desai
Matches - 22, Raid Points - 217
Left Cover - Meraj Sheykh
Matches - 29, Total Points - 86, Tackle Points - 30
Center - Deepak Niwas Hooda
Matches - 29, Total Points - 185, Raid Points - 147
Right Cover - Rajaguru Subramanian
Matches - 26, Tackle Points - 36
Right In - Rahul Chaudhari
Matches - 100, Raid Points - 825
Right Corner - Abozar Mohajermighani
Matches - 39, Tackle Points - 95
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