PKL5 Match 1 preview: Telugu Titans v Tamil Thalaivas
Date: 28th July
Time: 8PM IST (3:30PM BST)
Venue: Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad
The first match of the ProKabaddi season pits Telugu Titans v Tamil Thalaivas taking place in Hyderabad. Both teams are in zone B and you can see how the league works and which teams are in which zone here: VIVO ProKabaddi Season 5 Preview.
Match Prediction
Since Tamil are one of the new teams that immediately places them as the underdogs but I think both teams are evenly matched on paper. Telugu will expect Rahul Chaudhari to bag the majority of the raid points, similarly for Ajay Thakur will expect to bag the raid points for the Thalaivas. Tamil have a very good defender in Amit Hooda but apart from that it is a very inexperienced side, so that is why I expect Telugu to win this one, especially with veteran Rakesh Kumar playing for the Titans and with the home support!
Prediction: Telugu Titans 40-30 Tamil Thalaivas
Players To Watch
- If you are looking for raiding prowess then keep your eyes on Rahul Chaudhari and Ajay Thakur, playing for Telugu and Tamil respectively, both are prolific raiders in PKL and both play for India.
- In defence watch out for the talented Amit Hooda for the Thalaivas and Rohit Rana for the Titans. Also look out for the Iranian Farhad Milaghardan, if he’s playing he can be a very prolific tackler, and the Titans have paid a lot of money for him.
Predicted Line-ups
Telugu Titans: Amit Singh, Rahul Chaudhari (C), Rohit Rana, Nilesh Salunke, Farhad Rahimi Milaghardan (✈️), Vinoth Kumar, Rakesh Kumar.
Tamil Thalaivas: Amit Hooda, Ajay Thakur (C), K Prapanjan, C Arun, Vijin Thangadurai, Dong Geon Lee (✈️), Anil Kumar.
