The Telugu Titans had one of their worst Pro Kabaddi League seasons earlier this year. They finished last in the points table after managing only one victory in 22 matches.
The team owners decided to release the majority of their star players ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction and have given the squad a major makeover.
The Titans roped in former Bengaluru Bulls skipper Manjeet Chhillar as their assistant coach before the auction. Chhillar and Co. did an excellent job at the auction last weekend. Many fans believe that the Telugu Titans have one of the strongest squads this season.
Here is their full squad for PKL 2022:
Ankit Beniwal, Rajnish, Muhammed Shihas S, Prince, Palla Ramakrishna, Vinay, Mohit Pahal, Mohit, and Nitin. Abhishek Singh, Monu Goyat, Parvesh Bhainswal, Siddharth Desai, Surjeet Singh, Vishal Bhardwaj, Hamid Mirzaei Nader, Mohsen Maghsoudlou Jafari, K Hanumanthu, Adarsh T, Vijay Kumar, Ravinder Pahal, Aman Kadian, and Ravinder.
Their squad looks strong on paper, and here's our take on what could be their strongest playing seven for PKL 9.
Telugu Titans Raiders - Siddharth Desai, Monu Goyat and Abhishek Singh
The Telugu Titans retained their top two raiders from the previous season in Rajnish and Ankit Beniwal. However, it seems unlikely that they will receive a place in the team's starting seven, at least for the initial matches of the season.
The Titans signed three match-winners in the raiding department at this year's auction. They roped in Abhishek Singh, Monu Goyat and Siddharth Desai.
Former U Mumba vice-captain Abhishek Singh scored 177 raid points last season. Goyat played an integral role in Patna Pirates' success last season, while Desai is back with the Telugu franchise.
If Abhishek Singh, Goyat and Desai remain free from injury, the Titans could lift their first PKL title this year.
Telugu Titans Defenders - Surjeet Singh, Vishal Bhardwaj, Parvesh Bhainswal and Ravinder Pahal
The Titans had a weak defense last season, but they have stacked up the unit with some big names ahead of PKL 9.
Ravinder Pahal and Vishal Bhardwaj will be the two corner defenders of the team. Both players have achieved enormous success in the league and have always been a part of the race to win the Best Defender award come the end of the season.
They will have the support of cover defenders Surjeet Singh and Parvesh Bhainswal. Singh is the fifth most successful defender in PKL history, having scored 331 tackle points in 114 matches. Since he has captaincy experience, he may even lead the Titans this season. Meanwhile, left cover defender Parvesh has scored 248 tackle points in 101 matches.
The Titans have covered all their bases ahead of the auction. If they play to their full potential, the other 11 teams will find it challenging to keep them down.
Telugu Titans Predicted Playing Seven - Ravinder Pahal (Right Corner), Vishal Bhardwaj (Left Corner), Monu Goyat (Right In), Siddharth Desai (Left In), Surjeet Singh (Right Cover), Parvesh Bhainswal (Left Cover) and Abhishek Singh (Center).