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After a string of disappointing campaigns, there appears to be some hope for Telugu Titans fans. Home to the original poster boy of the Pro Kabaddi League, Rahul Chaudhari, the Titans were a force to reckon with in the initial few seasons of PKL.
Since Season 4, however, the Titans haven't made the playoffs, and they'll be keen to end that run this time out. With Manjeet Chillar joining their coaching staff and a new-look squad at their disposal, they have what it takes to pose a challenge.
On that note, let's look at three reasons why the Telugu Titans can win PKL 9.
#3 plenty of recognized PKL names
To finally quench their thirst by winning a maiden PKL title, the Telugu Titans put on an excellent recruitment display at the 2022 Pro Kabaddi Player Auction. Guided by many, including newly joined assistant coach Manjeet Chillar, they have assembled a squad with an ideal mix of players with PKL pedigree and some young, upcoming talents.
The likes of Rajnish and Ankit Beniwal will now have Monu Goyat and Siddharth Desai to learn from. Meanwhile, the experience of Ravinder Pahal, Vishal Bhardwaj, Parvesh Bhainswal, and Surjeet Singh makes for a star-studded defense.
This has easily been the best squad they have put out in recent times, and the big-name PKL stars are a major reason for that.
#2 excellent squad depth
The Titans possess plenty of squad depth and that should help them have a successful season. Another factor that should be attributed was their performance at the auction table, where they built a squad with lots of flexibility and back-up options.
They have experienced PKL players in every position and even if some of them don't make the strongest seven, there are very effective options on the bench. We have seen many teams struggle to cope after losing some key players to injury, and that's something they have covered this season.
#1 stellar raiding unit
While their defense is no less menacing, it's the electric raiding unit they have managed to assemble that catches the eye. Abhishek Singh was their marquee signing in the raiding department and to get him for ₹60 Lakhs was a shrewd move. The former U Mumba lead raider should be raking in the raid points this season.
Siddharth Desai was bought back by the franchise at his base price of only ₹20 Lakhs and we all know how good he can be when he's fit. In his absence, however, they unearthed a couple of young stars in Ankit Beniwal and Rajnish. Both crossed 100 raid points last season and add more power to the raiding unit. Monu Goyat was also purchased for his base price of ₹20 Lakhs.
The Titans raiding unit can cause problems for even the best defenses in the league and are capable of powering them to their first-ever PKL title win.
