HYDERABAD: Telugu Titans had a disastrous campaign in the Pro Kabaddi League last year. Losing 13 of 22 matches, an eighth-place finish was all that they could manage. At one point during the three-month long season, they could not win even a single match in eight consecutive outings (7 losses, 1 tie). After the forgettable experience, things seem to be falling into place for the Titans this year. They are currently placed atop the Zone B group with three victories in four matches.
The root cause of last season’s debacle, according to former captain Rahul Chaudhari (in pic), was a weak defence. And going by the way things have begun for the side this time, Chaudhari is confident this problem has been taken care of.“After winning the first match at home last year, we had a disastrous run where we lost so many matches on the trot. The main problem was with defence. There were a lot of issues with that department,” Chaudhari said on Friday.
A positive change has been the addition of defenders such as Abozar Mohajermighani. The Iranian was part of the Asian Games gold medal winning team. Last season, he was with the beaten finalists Gujarat Fortunegiants, finishing as the fifth most successful defender in his debut Pro Kabaddi campaign.
With 11 successful tackles yielding 13 points, he has helped propel the side this season. “The Iranian players in the team — Mohajermighani, Farhad Milghardan, Mohsen Maghsoudlou — are really good. The defence has really improved this time. And I think we are covered on all fronts. Now we have the combination we had been looking for all these years,” he opined.
Talking about his role in the team, Chaudhari said that since letting go of captaincy, the pressure on him has reduced substantially. “Being a captain is tough. When you are winning, people praise you and cheer you. As soon as you start losing, the same people and even some fans turn critical. People start to question your judgements. So ever since I left the captain’s role, that kind of pressure has disappeared,” the 25-year-old said. The team is being led by 21-year-old all-rounder Vishal Bharadwaj.
Even under pressure, Chaudhari has turned out to be one of the most popular and successful players in the league.His 193 points last season is testimony to his consistency over the years. The players believes this team has what it takes to go all the way. “Our aim is to do what we have not been able to do till now. And that is to come out as champions,” the raider signed off.
vishal@newindianexpress.com