New Delhi, July 23: Dabang Delhi will begin their campaign against hosts Telugu Titans in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 7 on Wednesday (July 24) at Gachibowly Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad.
As this season's format is a double round-robin format, both the teams would be aiming for a winning start in the tournament.
Dabang Delhi had a memorable season in PKL 6 as they made it to the play-offs but their capaign came to an end after losing to UP Yoddha in the third eliminator.
The Joginder Narwal-led side would be aiming for an even better show in this season. Delhi's defence looks really strong due to the presence of seasoned campaigners like Vishal Mane, Ravinder Pahal. They also have Anil Kumar, Saeid Ghaffari, and Sombir in the defence.
In Meraj Sheykh (all-rounder), Vijay (all-rounder), Naveen Goyat, Chandran Ranjit they have quality raiders. The team would once again be expecting an offensive attack under Naveen and Chandran for consistency.
Dabang Delhi Starting 7: Naveen Goyat (R), Chandran Ranjit (R), Neeraj Narwal (R), Joginder Narwal (defender), Vishal Mane (defender), Ravinder Pahal (defender), Meraj Sheykh (all-rounder).
Telugu Titans - who went for a major overhaul during the auction for the seventh season - have had a forgettable outings in both the games they've played. Their star raider Siddharth Desai - who set the PKL mat on fire with his exploits in the last season for U Mumba - hasn't found his form in this season. The team would be hoping that Desai finds his form in the next game and leads his team to a much-needed win.
Similarly, their defence, comprising names like Vishal Bhardwaj and Abozar Mohaejermighani, hasn't clicked. In Farhad Milaghardan they have a strong all-rounder but Titans will have to put up a collective effort to taste a win in front of a euphoric Hyderabad crowd.
Telugu Titans Starting 7: Siddharth Desai (R), Amit Kumar (R), Rajnish (R), Abozar Mighani (defender), Vishal Bharadwaj (defender/c), C. Arun (all-rounder), Farhad Milaghardan (all-rounder).
Captain: Naveen Goyat
Vice Captain: Siddharth Desai