Having failed to make an impact over the course of the last few Pro Kabaddi League seasons, Telugu Titans will look for a fresh approach in a revitalised and confident manner in Season 11 of the PKL. They finished at the bottom of the league standings in the last three seasons and will be eager to produce a more accomplished display in the upcoming campaign.
Ahead of Season 11, the Titans appointed the vastly experienced Krishan Kumar Hooda as head coach. A Pro Kabaddi title-winning coach with Dabang Delhi K.C. in Season 8, as well as a Dronacharya Award winner, Krishan Kumar Hooda could prove to be the perfect coach to help bring about a turnaround in fortunes for the Titans.
Highly active at the Season 11 Player Auction, Telugu Titans made several smart acquisitions in a bid to revamp their squad. They used their FBM card to retain Pawan Sehrawat for INR 1.725 crores and also roped in one of the best defenders in the league in Krishan for INR 70 lakhs. With that said, let’s take a closer look at the Titans’ strengths and weaknesses ahead of Season 11.
Strengths
A completely revamped unit under the leadership of head coach Krishan Kumar Hooda, the Season 11 Player Auction saw the Titans strategically invest in versatile all-rounders who can contribute effectively in both attack and defence. The third-highest raid points scorer in PKL history with 1,189 raid points, all-rounder Pawan Sehrawat will be the leader on the mat for the Titans.
A former PKL MVP, Pawan Sehrawat is also handy in defence, as his 65 tackle points suggest. He, along with another quality all-rounder like Vijay Malik, who has amassed 409 raid points and 81 tackle points, are not just top-class additions to any team but also help with the team’s overall balance, thanks to their ability to contribute on both ends of the mat.
Apart from Pawan Sehrawat and Vijay Malik, the Titans have also acquired the services of other talented all-rounders like Amit Kumar, Sanjeevi S and Shankar Gadai. While this trio may not have as much PKL experience as Pawan Sehrawat and Vijay Malik, they have certainly shown their quality in the past. Needless to say, they will be itching to have a big impact in PKL Season 11 with the backing of an experienced coach and captain who can guide them effectively.
Weaknesses
While having quality all-rounders can help plug gaps, there is no denying that the lack of a top-class support raider might be an issue for the Titans. Pawan Sehrawat will, of course, lead the attack from the front, but he will need help offensively, especially when he needs to be revived by a teammate, which was a major issue for the team last season.
Both Prafull Zaware and Omkar Patil struggled to assist Pawan sufficiently last season and will need to perform much better in the upcoming campaign. Prafull Zaware contributed 43 raid points, and Omkar Patil notched up 19 raid points in Season 10. Prafull and Omkar, along with Manjeet, who has 125 raid points in his PKL career, will need to raise their game and be efficient support raiders in Season 11 if the Titans want the campaign to be a success.
Opportunities
The Titans have been crying out for a leader in defence over the last few seasons, and their acquisition of Krishan will help them go a long way towards filling that void. Second on the leaderboard for most tackle points (78) last season, Krishan will have to shoulder the bulk of the defensive responsibility for the Titans, and he will be looking to make the most of this opportunity as he aims to add to his 139 tackle points in the PKL.
With Krishan leading the way, Telugu Titans will also hope that their other defenders, like Iranian Milad Jabbari and Ajit Pawar, can provide enough support and have a bigger impact on the outcome of matches than they did last season. Milad Jabbari managed 33 tackle points, and Ajit Pawar notched up 30 tackle points in PKL 10.
Threats
In terms of threats, the lack of quality backup defenders is certainly an issue for the Titans. Should Milad Jabbari and Ajit Pawar fail to provide sufficient support to Krishan, their other defensive options seem to lack the experience and know-how to perform at the highest level in the PKL.
Sagar is a New Young Player, while the defensive trio of Ankit, Sunder, and Mohammad Malak combine for a total of 22 tackle points. As a result, the Titans’ defensive depth will be under scrutiny, and how their season fares could heavily depend on how well their backup defenders step up to the challenge.
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