PKL 2019: Have Telugu Titans made the right move by replacing Rahul Chaudhari with Siddharth Desai?
In just under one year from his Pro Kabaddi League debut, Siddarth Desai has already made it big in the tournament after he was purchased for a whopping amount of 1.45 crore rupees by the Telugu Titans.
With this big move, Telugu Titans' poster boy Rahul Chaudhari has left the team and will now be plying trade for the Tamil Thalaivas after he was brought by the Chennai-based squad for Rs 94 lakhs.
It would now officially mean that Siddarth Desai would be the go-to raider for the Telugu Titans in the upcoming campaign.
Having said that, is it a wise move by the Telugu Titans to actually replace a proven and an experienced player with someone who has had a breakthrough season only in the previous edition?
Rahul Chaudhari was purchased for a big amount in the previous auctions by Telugu Titans as it became his sixth consecutive season with the "Yellow" squad.
Rahul Chaudhari has not only been the marquee player for the Telugu Titans but has also been the poster boy of the Pro Kabaddi League since its inception as the star-raider from Uttar Pradesh has shown exceptional skills on the mat.
He has won a number of games on his own for his squad and has entertained the crowd to a great extent.
However, the India national's form has been dipping since the last two seasons. Rahul was unable to take the responsibility of being the lead raider in the squad which has affected the team's chances in the tournament. Hence, it was not a surprise when he was released by the squad ahead of the upcoming season.
On the other hand, Siddharth Desai had a breakthrough season with U Mumba in Season 6 which enabled him to get noticed by Kabaddi lovers across the country. With his physique and flexibility on the mat, he can surely carry the burden of earning raid points for his team.
Although there are injury concerns with the 27-year-old, Siddarth Desai is a wise investment considering his future and also the fact that the next edition is set to commence only from July.
Since Rahul Chaudhari anyways commanded a huge amount of 94 lakhs, Telugu Titans have done well in investing 1.45 crores for Siddharth.
Although Rahul's experience and brand-value would be a loss for the squad, it has been the right move by the team to start afresh with a new marquee player.