Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: 5 player battles to watch out for in the Hyderabad leg

The Pro Kabaddi League is all set to hit TV screens on July 28, thus starting a three-month long journey that will see the kabaddi juggernaut travel to 12 different cities across 11 states, making it the largest franchise-based sporting league in India.

The first stop is in Hyderabad, where the opening day will see the Telugu Titans take on the PKL rookies Tamil Thalaivas, along with a mouth-watering clash between the Puneri Paltan and U Mumba, which promises to be a belter.

There will be a total of 11 matches over the course of seven days, six of which will feature the home team, the Telugu Titans. Here are five key player battlers to look forward to in these seven days!

#1 Ajay Thakur (Tamil Thalaivas) vs Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans)

The opening match of the new season will see two raiding greats go head-to-head against each other. Both Ajay and Rahul will be leading their respective sides and their performance over the 40 minutes will probably determine which team will take home the points.

Chaudhari, who will be taking the mat for the Titans for the fifth season running, is the highest point scorer in the league's past four seasons combined and when in his element, he is truly unstoppable. Coincidentally, it is Thakur that he considers to be his mentor and is the reason behind his decision to become a raider.

The Thalaivas man, on the other hand, is a wily and experienced customer, who has not enjoyed much Pro Kabaddi success, but his abilities can never be doubted and he can often leave defenders hapless with his hand touches and long leaps.

It will be a fascinating encounter in the season opener, one that is sure to keep fans on their feet!

#2 Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans) vs Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates)

If there is one man who can challenge Rahul Chaudhari's supremacy as the best raider in the league, it is none other than 20-year-old Pardeep Narwal. Day 2 of the PKL will see the two face off in the second match of the day and it will be fascinating to see how Pardeep will approach this game.

It will be the first time the young raider will don the captain's armband and one can only wait and watch whether it will come in the way of his performances on the mat or if it might even inspire him to raise his levels even further.

On the other hand, it has been observed in previous seasons that Rahul can crumble under the weight of captaincy. When the two sides do face off, fans can look forward to see how two of the world's best raiders can perform while leading their teams.

#3 Meraj Sheykh (Dabang Delhi) vs Fazel Atrachali (Gujarat Fortune Giants)

August 1 will see Dabang Delhi play their second encounter of the new season while for the Adani-Wilmar Group-owned Gujarat Fortune Giants, it will be a Pro Kabaddi bow to remember.

The match will see two of the most precocious foreign talents in the PKL go head-to-head, in the form of Iran's Meraj Sheykh and Fazel Atrachali. The battle between the two compatriots promises to be a memorable one, given the fact that they have represented their nation together for so many years and that they bring a distinct flavour to the league.

While all-rounder Meraj can be a truly unstoppable force on his day with his unique raiding and defending styles, Fazel too is an immovable object - resolute in defence with his powerful body blocks and dashes. Their battle should be one to savour!

#4 Ran Singh (Bengal Warriors) vs Rohit Rana (Telugu Titans)

The Bengal Warriors will open their Pro Kabaddi Season 5 campaign with a match against home side Telugu Titans in what promises to be an even battle, given the fact that both sides have compact and well-balanced squads.

While the focus will be on the battle between Rahul Chaudhari and Jang Kun Lee, the deciding factor in the match's result could be which team's defence is better on the night. For both teams, leading the defensive charge will be two seasoned veterans in the Pro Kabaddi League and will hold the key to their team's chances.

Ran Singh will feature for the Warriors and it interesting to see him match up to Rohit Rana. The battle becomes intriguing given the fact that both were part of the Jaipur side won the inaugural edition and played key roles in the team's title win.

#5 Surender Nada (Haryana Steelers) vs Anup Kumar (U Mumba)

The last on this list but not certainly the least, the battle between the captains of the sides from Haryana and Mumbai will be one for the ages, especially because of the fact that it was under Anup's leadership at U Mumba that Surender Nada truly flourished as a premier defender and won the title in Season 2.

Now, he sees himself up against his former mentor and skipper while leading another set of talented players. His battle against Anup and U Mumba's enviable set of raiders will be one to watch out for and we will see whether the duo of Mohit Chhillar and Nada will be able to get one past the team that they gained prominence with.