Preview: Telugu Titans lock horns against U Mumba in the first match of the season at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad. Titans bid farewell to star raider Rahul Chaudhari after six years of association and he has been replaced by Siddharth Desai. As for former champions U Mumba,they have been one of the most consistent teams since the inception of the tournament. They have managed to book a semis or a playoff berth in every season, except for in season 4 and season 5 and will look for a similar performance this term.
Follow Telugu Titans vs U Mumba Live Updates below –
Big reception for players
The two sets of players are out in the middle amid huge uproar as we are about to get underway here in Hyderabad. The players are now getting ready for the national anthem which will mark open the tournament. U Mumba have won the toss and they have opted for the choice of court.
Old friends become foes
One of the star performers for Mumbai last year was Siddharth Desai who had a great debut season for them. As he moves to Telugu Titans, Mumbai will look towards Rohit Baliyan, Dong Geon Lee, Abhishek Singh and Athul MS to step up. None of those raiders combined had the raid point tally that Desai had last season. Rohit is the most experienced raider in the team (52 Matches). With none of the other raiders having played more than 25 PKL matches, much of the responsibility will fall on his shoulders.
Revamped U Mumba
Mumbai won the season 2 and made it into the finals of the first three seasons. Last season, with led by a new coach and a new captain in Fazel Atrachali, U Mumba finished second in Zone A with a total of 15 wins, with their defence once again living up the reputation. A 29 – 34 defeat in the Eliminator-1 to UP Yoddha ended their campaign as they failed to reach the final.
Consistent Mumba
U Mumba have been one of the the most consistent teams in the Pro Kabaddi League since its inception. The side has always relied on its defensive prowess, and they have managed to book a semis or a playoff berth in every season, except for in season 4 and season 5.
Titans’ strong defence
The Titans got back both their ace corner defenders – Vishal Bhardwaj and Abozar Mighani – spending big money. The team used the FBM card to get both of them, spending 75 Lakhs on Abozar and 60 Lakhs on Vishal Bhardwaj. Left cover Anil Kumar was let go and C. Arun has been bought as a replacement for 10 Lakhs. Along with Rahul Chaudhari, Nilesh Salunkhe, who was their 2 nd raider for almost 3 seasons has also been let go.
Titans’ newest Titan
The Titans failed to make it into the final of Pro Kabaddi League, despite reaching the playoffs twice in season 2 and season 4. Last year, the side finished in the 5th spot in Zone B. The decision to let of Rahul put the franchise in a position to buy a massive replacement for him. As his replacement, Telugu Titans have bought one of the stars of PKL 6, Siddharth Desai, spending a massive 145 lakhs (highest bid for PKL 6 auction) to get him.
Hello and welcome
A very warm welcome to the live blog of the first match of the season between Telugu Titans and U Mumba. The two teams will look to get off the block early and set the tone of the rest of the tournament. Titans will pin all their hopes on Siddharth Desai while Fazel Atrachali will be rally his U Mumba troops for this blockbuster contest.
Source: HindustanTimes