Pro Kabaddi 2019: 3 reasons why the Telugu Titans could win the title
Vivo Pro Kabaddi 2019 will start from 20th July 2019, with twelve teams in the reckoning for a shot at the title. The seventh season will see all teams will play each other twice in the group stage. The seventh season of Pro Kabaddi will witness a new format following the removal of inter-zonal, intra-zonal, and wildcard matches.
Telugu Titans, one of the teams which have been featuring in the league since the inception of the tournament are yet to win a Pro Kabaddi title. 'Poster boy' Rahul Chaudhari, having played five seasons with the Titans will be featuring for his first ever side other than the Titans when he turns out for the Tamil Thalaivas.
From the auctions, the Titans roped in the likes of Siddharth Desai, Suraj Desai, C Arun, and successfully retained the services of Abozar Mighani and Vishal Bhardwaj through the exercising of the 'Final Bid Match' card.
The Titans are set to play their first match against U Mumba in the opening fixture of season 7 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad. The Titans' home leg will begin on 20th July and culminate on 26th July 2019.
Here is a look at why the Titans could be backed to clinch their first ever Pro Kabaddi League title.
#3 The raiding wonderboy, Siddharth Sirish Desai
Maharashtrian raiding sensation Siddharth Sirish Desai became the costliest player in Season 7 auctions, with his services being signed up for ₹1.45 crores by the Telugu Titans. Siddharth had a terrific season 6 with 218 raid points to his name from 21 matches played.
He became the highlight of season 6 by clinching the 'best debutant' of the season award. Desai was right on the mark from the opening game of the league, as he went on to clinch 15 points from the season opener against the Puneri Paltan.
As the league progressed, his performance touched new heights. Desai became the fastest played to score 50 raid points, reaching the landmark in just four matches. He became the first player to score 200 raid points in a debut season. With 10 Super 10s and 15 Super Raids to his name, he put up a stunning show in only his debut season.
Desai uses the running hand touch while raiding and also escapes from the defense. If the lanky raider can re-produce his magic from season 6, he can be banked to lead the Titans single-handedly to a title win.