Pro Kabaddi 2019: Predicting the starting 7 for the Telugu Titans

VIVO Pro Kabaddi 2019 is set to commence from 20th July 2019. One of the original teams featuring since the inaugural season, the Telugu Titans have had a rollercoaster ride in the league as they are yet to lay their hands on the silverware.

Rahul Chaudhari, who is the leading point scorer of VIVO Pro Kabaddi with 876 total points will no more feature for the Telugu Titans as he is set to play alongside Ajay Thakur at the Tamil Thalaivas for PKL 2019.

From the auctions, the Titans roped in the likes of Siddharth Desai, defensive lynchpins Abozar Mighani and Vishal Bhardwaj. Set to play their first match against U Mumba in the opening fixture of season 7, Siddharth Desai will hope to repeat his magic at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.

The Titans' home leg will begin on 20th July and culminate on 26th July 2019, in what promises to be a home leg full of action. As we build up to Pro Kabaddi 2019, here is a look at the probable playing seven of the Telugu Titans.

---

Right Corner: Abozar Mohajermighani

Abozar Mighani will be the captain for Telugu Titans in Season 7.

A fearless right corner from Iran, Abozar Mighani had a blockbuster debut back in season 5 with the Gujarat Fortune Giants. He was the fifth best defender of the season with 65 tackle points to his name from 24 matches at an average of 2.71 tackle points and became a household name with his skill set.

Ahead of season 6, the Telugu Titans signed Abozar Mighani and the move proved to be a masterstroke as he formed a fabulous partnership with young Vishal Bhardwaj and led the defensive unit of the team brilliantly. He scored 56 tackle points in 21 matches and earned a status as the prominent defender for the team.

For the upcoming season, Abozar will also be leading the Titans and will be backed to produce a top show.

Right In: Armaan Raj

Armaan Raj will be showcasing his skills as the team's first pick in do or die raids.

Armaan Raj, an exciting raider from Bihar debuted for Telugu Titans last season. His best moment came in the match against the Bengal Warriors, when he scored 13 points in a single game against the mighty defense unit of Surjeet Singh and Ran Singh.

Armaan is an all-rounder who can also contribute with his defensive skills by diving on the lower body region of the opposition raiders. In season 6, the presence of big star raiders such as Rahul Chaudhari and Nilesh Salunke saw Armaan warming the bences in most games.

However, with the Titans looking slightly thin on the raiding front, Armaan could come into prominence which will see him partnering Siddharth Desai in the offense department that can give rise to a young and exciting raiding duo for the Titans this season.

Right Cover: Farhad Milaghardan

Farhad Milaghardan will play a vital role in the team's defense.

Farhad Milaghardan made his debut back in season 5 with Telugu Titans and became a prominent part of the defense. He aided Vishal Bhardwaj in the left corner with his timely dashes and provided decent support in his debut season.

Farhad scored 28 tackle points in 18 matches for the team. He continued for the Titans in Season 6 and raised his performance with 47 tackle points out of 22 games with an average of 2.14 tackle points. He executed tackles on his own with proper blocks and chain tackles as well.

Farhad is an all-rounder who can also raid in the do or die raids for the team at crucial situations. The 2018 Asian Games gold medalist from Iran was rightfully retained by the Titans ahead of the PKL 7 auctions and will undoubtedly play a huge role in the upcoming season.

Center: Siddharth Sirish Desai

Siddharth Desai will replace Rahul Chaudhari as the team's lead raider for Titans in Season 7.

Siddharth Sirish Desai 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.

Desai became the fastest player in Pro Kabaddi history to reach 50 raid points in just four matches. He went on to score 218 raid points in 21 games at an average of 10.38 raid points. With 10 Super 10s and 15 super raids to his name, he displayed sheer strength and was a force to reckon with all season.

Siddharth executes a remarkable running hand touch with his height and can thwart away attempts from a strong defense unit as he makes his way towards the midline. One of the most exciting raiders this season, he will lead the offense unit of the Telugu Titans.

Left Cover: C. Arun

Telugu Titans bought C Arun for ₹10 lakhs.

C. Arun has been a veteran in Pro Kabaddi having played the league from Season 2. He has played for Jaipur Pink Panthers (season 2 and 3), Bengal Warriors (season 4) and Tamil Thalaivas (season 5 and 6) in the past editions of the league.

Hailing from Tamil Nadu, C. Arun is a fearless defender who can execute tackles and aid the corner defenders with his support. His best performance came in season 5 when he formed a cover partnership with Darshan J and assisted Amit Hooda in the right corner.

Overall, Arun has 36 tackle points from 20 matches at an average of 1.5 tackle points per game. He is an expert in using dives from the cover defense and can also dash raiders out with a powerful dash as part of his skill set as well.

Left In: Suraj Desai

Suraj Desai (extreme left) will be supporting Siddharth Desai in the offense.

Siddharth Desai's elder brother, Suraj Desai is a former Army player in the Services' board. He has represented the board at the national level and is a two-time champion in the Maharashtra Kabaddi League (MKL).

Both Siddharth and Suraj have played together from their childhood with Siddharth crediting his older brother for his accomplishments in the sport today. Suraj is also a winner of the 'best player of the tournament' from the MKL and can be expected to make an impact.

Suraj was a part of Jaipur Pink Panthers back in season 2 but with the board dissallowing the participation of the players in the PKL, he had to miss out. Suraj was picked by Dabang Delhi.in season 5 for ₹52.5 lakhs but missed out due to injury.

Set to make his PKL debut alongside his younger brother, Suraj Desai can be backed to make an impact for sure.

Left Corner: Vishal Bhardwaj

Vishal Bhardwaj got signed by the team at ₹60 lakhs.

An outstanding left corner with the potential of taking big match raiders down, Vishal Bhardwaj has been an aggressive defender for Telugu Titans. He had an outstanding campaign for Titans in season 5 as he scored 71 tackle points in 22 matches at an average of 3.23 tackle points. With 5 High 5s to his name, Vishal became the third-best defender in the fifth season of Pro Kabaddi.

Vishal Bhardwaj is brilliant with his ankle holds where he executes a firm grip with his upper body strength. This defensive move disbands any raider's momentum and provides crucial tackle points to the team.

Having been given the responsibility to lead the side for season 6, he formed a brilliant combination with Abozar Mighani and scored 60 tackle points from just 17 matches, at an average of 3.53 tackle points per game.