'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Season 5 was an utterly forgettable period for the Titans but the Hyderabad franchise will bank on some key retentions to match or surpass their best-ever third place finish which they achieved at the end of 2015.
One man has been witness to the waxing and waning fortunes of his team ever since the inaugural season and will look to inspire his side to a better run when they begin Season 6.
Rahul Chaudhari has seen it all - from ending up at the fifth slot in Season 1 to a distressful run last time around when the Titans avoided the wooden spoon by finishing ahead of the Tamil Thalaivas in Zone B.
While the star raider from Bijnor will be the key to his team's fortunes, the Titans will be hoping that Rahul finds some much-needed support, particularly in the raiding department, which was lacking last season.
Here is a look at the Top 5 raiders whose contributions will be vital if the Titans wish to progress to the playoffs and beyond.
#5 Mahender Reddy
An officer of the Special Branch Hyderabad City, Mahender Reddy was selected for the Indian team which won the 2016 SAF Games against Pakistan.
The 32-year-old Sub-Inspector of Police has represented Hyderabad Bulls in the local Telangana Premier Kabaddi League primarily as a defender but has been picked by the Titans as an all-rounder.
Three young raiders with very little experience - Ankit Beniwal, Rajnish, and Kamal Singh may well take their time to make their mark for the Titans who will be eager to engineer a quick turnaround following a dismal showing last season.
As such, Mahender Reddy's vast experience including that in the raiding department may prove handy for the Hyderabad side.
#4 Rakshith
The 19-year-old raider started his PKL journey last season and turned out 6 times for the Titans. Rakshith earned 14 points with a not-out percentage of 77.27%. The numbers may be inadequate to fully or fairly assess the youngster's prowess but his exploits on the mat (however brief), have left an imprint.
Having been brought on as a substitute against the Patna Pirates, Rakshith managed to score in his opening raid and went on to earn 4 points from 6 raids in impressive fashion against the two-time defending champions.
The Karnataka lad has admitted that while he did take time to develop a camaraderie with the players from the North owing to language issues initially. All is now well and he is raring to have a go and prove his worth for the franchise.
#3 Mohsen Maghsoudloujafari
The Iranian international was retained by the Hyderabad side for a price of ₹24.55 lakhs. Mohsen earned a total of 47 points last season after having turned out 16 times for the Titans.
The raider showed his class against Dabang Delhi last September when he ended up as the second-highest scorer behind Rahul Chaudhari, thereby enabling his side to coast to a win by a handsome 44-22 margin.
Mohsen who was part of the Iranian squad that lost to India in the 2016 World Cup final also played a key role, scoring 12 valuable points when the Titans overcame the Tamil Thalaivas in a Season 5 encounter.
The Titans who have seemed to be heavily dependent on their prolific captain thus far will be hoping that Mohsen will be able to ease Rahul Chaudhari's burden in the upcoming season.
#2 Nilesh Salunke
Nilesh has spent a couple of seasons with the Titans after having hopped onto the PKL bandwagon in Season 3 where he took the mat 7 times for Puneri Paltans.
After a rather quiet start with the Pune side, the raider found his footing with the Titans in Season 4 earning 62 points from 15 matches.
The 25-year-old from Maharashtra failed to get his team into the playoffs last season but did have his moments under the sun - such as, in the encounter against Haryana Steelers, where he was presented with the Do or Die Player of the Match award even as the Titans ended up on the losing side by a mere two points.
Nilesh will hope to build on an overall record of 177 points from 43 matches and will also need to better his successful raid percentage of 32.01% if he wishes to catapult the Titans to glory.
#1 Rahul Chaudhari
The Raid Machine has been ruthlessly efficient, standing firm like a rock in the midst of the fluctuating fortunes of his side ever since the tournament came into existence.
Rahul started off in style amassing 151 raid points in the 14 matches that he turned out for in the inaugural season and has been one of the most consistent performers in the competition ever since.
Season 4 was the icing on the cake for the star raider as he accumulated 146 raid points from 16 games, and he is the only player in the League to have crossed the magic 700-mark in terms of total points earned - which includes 666 raid points.
The World Cup gold medalist has the ability to launch raids from either side of the mat with deft running hand touches which have got the better of the best defenders in the business.
In spite of the jaw-dropping statistics, Rahul has been unable to inspire his side to perform well enough to reach the summit and will seek to make amends in Season 6.
