Pro Kabaddi 2019: 3 defenders who failed to impress from the Hyderabad leg
The seventh edition of Pro Kabaddi kicked off from the Hyderabad leg on July 20th. A new format and big player transfers promised to take this season to new heights. The first week at Hyderabad saw U Mumba first outclassing Telugu Titans and then getting beaten convincingly by Jaipur Pink Panthers. Also the home team Titans' failure to win a single game was the biggest talking point. All this speaks volumes about the intensity and fierceness of this season.
The first week was full of low-scoring thrillers and the reason for that was that the defenders gave neck-to-neck competition to the raiders. The young defenders impressed, with Shubham Shinde, Baldev Singh, and Parveen grabbing their chances with both hands.
However, there were quite a few big names who disappointed. A lot was expected from these senior defenders, but they failed to step up, thereby putting their teams in a poor position. Let us take a look at a few of them:
#1 Abozar Mohajermighani (Telugu Titans)
Abozar was named as the captain of the team ahead of the season. However, the Iranian has failed miserably, not only in this role but in the defense as well. Under his leadership, Titans lost all their four matches. He never looked threatening in the defense as well.
Though it is just the beginning of the season, the right-corner defender's form is worrying for the team. He has only 5 tackle points in 4 matches, with as many as 12 unsuccessful tackles to his name. His teammate and opposite corner Vishal Bhardwaj has fared reasonably well, but the duo hasn't been able to perform as a combination.
Is it the captaincy pressure which has prevented him from giving his best, or is it just a matter of poor form? Only time will tell, but the Titans' fans would hope that his killer thigh and ankle holds find the right timing once again.
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