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The Pro Kabaddi League season is just around the corner as, within a week's time, the action on the mat kicks off for the sixth edition of the league. Twelve franchises from all across the country will compete over the duration of three months with the first leg set to kick off in Chennai on October 7, 2018, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The grand finale of the Pro Kabaddi Leauge will take place at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai, Maharashtra as the champions will be crowned on January 5, 2018.
Over the five seasons of the league, only three franchises - Jaipur Pink Panthers, U Mumba and Patna Pirates have been able to get their hands on the coveted Pro Kabaddi Leauge championship trophy. Patna Pirates are the defending champions and have won the title for three consecutive seasons establishing themselves as the most successful franchise in the league.
Telugu Titans are a franchise from the city of Hyderabad in Telangana who have been a stiff competitor in the league over the years. They have been in and out of the playoffs contention making the final stages two times in five seasons. Titans finished as the third position team back in Season 3 after they were second on the final league standings table.
Going into the upcoming sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League, the Telugu Titans have assembled a well-balanced side and managed to retain a core from their squad last season. The biggest signing for the Telugu Titans was the retention of their star man Rahul Chaudhari for 1.29 Crores after using the Final Bid to Match card in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 6 auction. Other notable signings include the Iranian corner defender Abozar Mohajermighani and Farhad Milaghardan. The Titans had retained five players going into the auction thereby retaining most of their key players from last season.
We take a look at a few reasons why the Telugu Titans can go on to win the Pro Kabaddi League 2018 championship.
#5 Retention of crucial players ahead of the auction
Telugu Titans retained a total of five players - Nilesh Salunke, Mohsen Maghsoudloujafari, Vishal Bhardwaj, Rakshith, Sombir Gulia ahead of the Pro Kabaddi League 2018 auction earlier this year. This meant that they had decided to maintain the core squad from the last season with the all these players having impressed in Season 5 with their performances.
Nilesh Salunke, Mohsen Maghsoudloujafari and Rakshith are capable raiders who can support Rahul Chaudhari in the raiding unit. Sombir Guli and Vishal Bhardwaj were impressive last season in defence, specially Bhardwaj who had scored a massive 71 tackle points.
#2 Defensive stability in the side
Telugu Titans unearthed a gem last season in their defensive lineup when their corner defender Vishal Bhardwaj proved his mettle on the mat. The young man grabbed a lot of headlines when he scored 71 tackle points with five High 5s to his name last season.
The addition of fellow corner defender Abozar Mohajermighani and Farhad Milaghardan further strengthens the defence for the Titans. The likes of Sombir Gulia will be a key component as well with his ability to score Super Tackles in crucial situations.
#3 Experience of new coach Kilaru Jagmohan
The Telugu Titans signed new head coach Kilaru Jagmohan for the sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League and replaced Naveen Kumar from last season.
Jagmohan is one of the most experienced coaches in India and has been a part of the Sports of Authority for two decades. He was part of the coaching setup of the Telugu Titans previously in the Pro Kabaddi League and returns to the side this season. His impressive resume includes stints with the national kabaddi teams of India, Bangladesh and most recently England at the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016.
#2 Signing of Iranian defender Abozar Mohajermighani
Abozar Mohajermighani was one of the most deadly defenders last season when he played for the Gujarat Fortunegiants. Along with countryman Fazel Atracheli, the duo formed one of the best corner defensive combinations last season.
Abozar scored 65 tackle points last season and thus merited a huge amount in the PKL Season 6 auction and was signed for 76 Lakhs in the auction by the Titans. His strength and agility at the right corner will be highly coveted by the Titans' defence this season.
#1 Star raider Rahul Chaudhari's threat on the mat
One of the most popular faces in Indian Kabaddi, Rahul Chaudhari has been the vital cog in the Telugu Titans lineup for the entirety of the Pro Kabaddi League so far.
Rahul has gone on to dazzle his opponents on the mat for five seasons and amassed the most raid points by any player, a mind-blowing 666 points in 79 matches.
It was surprising to see the Titans not retain him ahead of the auction but they utilized the FBM card to get their star man in the squad. His raiding skills on the mat will be incredibly vital for the success of the Telugu Titans this season for a title run.
