Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction: 3 players Telugu Titans should target
The Pro Kabaddi 2024 auction will be held this Thursday (August 15) and Friday (August 16) in Mumbai. The reverse countdown to the mega event has started as all 12 teams have announced their respective lists of players retained and released.
Telugu Titans have had a poor run in the Pro Kabaddi League for quite some time now. They have finished 12th in the points table in the last three seasons, while in the one season before that, they finished 11th.
The team owners have made some huge changes to the management ahead of Season 11. They have appointed Ramesh Kumar as their new assistant coach, with Krishan Kumar Hooda being the new head coach. Hooda guided Dabang Delhi KC to their maiden PKL trophy in Season 8. Titans fans will hope for a similar performance this year.
The new coaches have released big names like Pawan Sehrawat and Parvesh Bhainswal from the Telugu Titans squad to free up some funds for the Pro Kabaddi 2024 auction. Heading into the Pro Kabaddi 2024 auction, the Titans have ₹3.82 crore remaining in their purse, and here's a list of three players they should target.
#1 Telugu Titans should go all out for Mohammadreza Shadloui at Pro Kabaddi 2024 auction
In the previous auction, Telugu Titans showed that they do not mind spending big on a single player if he is worth the money. Last season, they acquired Pawan Sehrawat's services for a whopping ₹2.605 crore, and they can do the same for Mohammadreza Shadloui in PKL 11.
Shadloui was sold for ₹2.35 crore to Puneri Paltan last season. He justified the enormous price tag by scoring 99 tackle points, winning the Best Defender award and helping the Pune-based franchise win their first-ever championship.
Considering that Shadloui is also a talented raider, the Titans should try to sign him at any cost and build their squad around him in PKL 2024.
#2 Sunil Kumar
Apart from a solid match-winner, the Titans also need a captain who can handle the team well. Sunil Kumar has enormous PKL captaincy experience under his belt, having led the Gujarat Giants and Jaipur Pink Panthers in the past. In fact, Jaipur won the title in Season 9 under Sunil's captaincy.
Sunil not only brings leadership quality to the table but he is also a reliable right cover defender. If Sunil joins the Titans, he can solve many issues for the franchise, and perhaps even lead the team to their maiden championship.
#3 Bharat Hooda
Bengaluru Bulls have surprisingly released their star raider Bharat Hooda ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 auction. Hooda was among the top scorers for the Bulls in the last two seasons, and his height helped him overcome the tackle attempts with ease.
With Hooda available in the auction pool, the Titans should sign him and use him as their main raider. He can prove to be a value-for-money pick if the Titans sign him at the right price. Retained players like Praful Zaware, Omkar Patil, Nitin Rawal, and Rohit Rathee can support Hooda to perfection in the Telugu Titans raid unit.