Pro Kabaddi 2023: Telugu Titans' all-time PKL 7
Telugu Titans have been the unluckiest team in the Pro Kabaddi League history. Despite signing the top names in the tournament's history, the Titans have never been able to lift the trophy. Quite surprisingly, they have never made it to the final even once.
Five seasons have passed since the Telugu Titans' last playoffs appearance. They have never made it to the second round ever since the organizers added four new franchises to the mix.
This year, the Titans signed Indian captain Pawan Sehrawat for a whopping ₹2.605 crore at the auction, hoping that he can take them to their maiden title. Although the Titans have never made it to the final, there have been some top performers for the franchise.
Here's a look at their all-time playing seven.
Center - Rahul Chaudhari
Rahul Chaudhari became the first poster boy of the Pro Kabaddi League after his fantastic performances for the Telugu Titans in the initial PKL seasons. Chaudhari joined the Titans in Season 1 and remained a part of the squad for the next five editions.
After finishing in the top 5 of the raiders' leaderboard for the first three seasons, Chaudhari won the Best Raider award in Season 4 for scoring 146 raid points. Although he scored 166 points in Season 6, the Titans released him and never bought him back.
Left Cover - Parvesh Bhainswal
Parvesh Bhainswal joined the Telugu Titans last season. The left cover defender impressed straightaway and ended the tournament as the best defender of the franchise. He scored 56 tackle points in 23 games and ended ninth on the overall leaderboard.
Bhainswal's consistent performance was one of the few bright spots for the Titans in an otherwise forgettable season. He will continue to play for the Titans in PKL 10.
Right Cover - Rajaguru Subramanian
Rajaguru Subramanian was the right cover defender of the Titans in the first two seasons. He even captained the team in a few matches. Playing in the right cover position, Subramanian scored 37 points across two seasons.
The Titans did not retain him for the third season, but he had a decent tackle success rate of around 40%. After leaving the Titans, he had stints with Dabang Delhi KC and U Mumba.
Left In - Siddharth Desai
Siddharth Desai became the face of the Titans after Rahul Chaudhari left. Desai joined the team in Season 7 and scored 220 points in just 22 games. He averaged 10 points per match. Hence, the Titans retained him for the next two seasons.
Desai's performances declined due to injury issues, but he still managed 144 points in Season 9. The Titans decided against retaining him for PKL 10. Desai will play for the Haryana Steelers this season.
Right In - Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda played the supporting raider's role for the Telugu Titans in the first two seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League. He formed a lethal raiding trio with Rahul Chaudhari and Sukesh Hegde.
Hooda contributed as an all-rounder to the team's success. He earned 89 points in Season 1 and 96 points in Season 2. Notably, he recorded 36 tackle points, including three High 5s and four super tackles in Season 2.
Left Corner - Vishal Bhardwaj
Left corner defender Vishal Bhardwaj has been the most successful defender for the Telugu Titans. Bhardwaj earned seven points in his debut season in the fourth edition, but the number went up to 71 points in Season 5. He earned 123 points in the next two editions before leaving for Puneri Paltan.
The left corner defender returned to the Titans in Season 9, scoring 45 points. He was released before the auction and will play for Dabang Delhi KC in PKL 10.
Right Corner - Abozar Mighani
Iranian defender Abozar Mighani formed a dangerous corner combination with Vishal Bhardwaj in Seasons 6 and 7. Mighani earned 96 points across the two seasons, earning five High 5s.
The Telugu Titans did not retain him for Season 8. He had stints with Bengal Warriors and UP Yoddha, but he could not achieve much success.