PKL 11 Season Review: Did Pawan Sehrawat's injury cost Telugu Titans' title dream?

Telugu Titans finished seventh in PKL 11.

Pawan Sehrawat-led Telugu Titans miss out on qualifying by a narrow margin for the Pro Kabaddi 2024 (PKL 11) playoff spot. They finished seventh in the PKL 11 table with 12 wins and 10 losses from 22 matches. That being said let us take a look at how the season spanned out for the southern giants.

Telugu Titans made a good start to the PKL 11 season with a stellar win over Bengaluru Bulls and looked like one of the favourites for the league but a mistimed injury to Pawan Sehrawat derailed them out of the track and they succumbed to some poor losses.

Also Read: PKL 11 Season Review: Did lack of experienced raiders affect U Mumba’s title hopes?

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While Vijay Malik did a fairly good job in the raiding section, a cry for leadership was evident in the defence. The gaps in defence have cost them quite a few matches in PKL 11. While on paper it looked sorted with the presence of Krishan Dhull, but the experienced defender failed to perform to his capabilities.

The right-corner defender struggled to make a significant impact for his team this season. In 19 matches, Krishan earned just 21 tackle points, averaging a modest 1.1 successful tackles per game. With a tackle success rate of only 29%, his effectiveness on the mat left much to be desired.

Despite being on the mat for 100% of the matches, Krishan failed to secure any Super Tackles and recorded just one High 5 throughout the season. His tally of 73 total tackles highlights his effort, but the lack of consistency and effectiveness in execution underlined a disappointing campaign for the defender. On that note, let’s have a look at the top performers for Telugu Titans who kept them in the fray in PKL 11.

Top Performers:

Vijay Malik

In the absence of Pawan Sehrawat, Vijay Malik who took the captaincy duties led by example. He single-handedly led Telugu Titans to victory with his explosive but consistent performances. Across 22 matches, he accumulated an impressive 183 points, with the majority coming from his raids. Averaging 7.81 raid points per game and maintaining a strong 83.57% not-out rate, Vijay showcased his reliability and resilience in pressure situations.

Offensively, Vijay completed 341 raids with a success rate of 50.43%, earning 172 raid points. His tally included 2 Super Raids and 7 Super 10s, underlining his ability to dismantle opposition defenses and deliver in critical moments.

Defensively, while not as prominent, Vijay still contributed with 11 tackle points from 29 attempts, achieving a tackle success rate of 34%. His versatility and ability to perform on both ends of the mat made him a valuable asset and one of the standout players for his team this season.

Ashish Narwal

Another all-rounder who played a crucial role alongside Vijay Malik this season was Ashish Narwal. Ashish featured in 22 matches in PKL 11, amassing 138 points. With an average of 5.45 raid points per match and a 74.41% not-out rate.

Offensively, Ashish executed 258 raids with a success rate of 46.51%, contributing 120 raid points to his team’s tally. His 5 Super Raids and 2 Super 10s highlighted his ability to deliver under pressure, often turning the tide in key moments.

On the defensive front, Ashish chipped in with 18 tackle points from 37 attempts, maintaining a solid tackle success rate of 43%. His 2 Super Tackles added to his value as an all-rounder, showcasing his ability to contribute on both ends of the mat.

Also Read: PKL 11 Season Review: Should Bengal Warriorz retain inexperienced Prashant Surve as coach for next season?

Pawan Sehrawat

The ‘Hi-Flyer’, the captain fantastic of Telugu Titans had his appearance cut short by a sudden unfortunate injury that saw him sidelined for nine matches for the Telugu Titans which had greatly affected their PKL 11 campaign. However, Pawan was still one of the best performers for the team.

Despite playing only 13 matches in PKL 11, he made a significant impact, earning 129 points. With an impressive average of 9.92 raid points per match and a 71.98% not-out rate. He racked up 129 raid points, including 5 Super Raids and 8 Super 10s, demonstrating his ability to dominate in high-pressure situations and deliver when his team needed him the most.

Also Read: PKL 11 Season Review: Over-reliance on Arjun Deshwal sink Jaipur Pink Panthers

Top Performances:

• Puneri Paltan 36-48 Telugu Titans (Match 124)
• Telugu Titans 49-27 Haryana Steelers (Match 61)
• Telugu Titans 37-29 Bengaluru Bulls (Match 1)

Coach’s Report Card – Krishan Kumar Hooda

Considering the performance that Telugu Titans have put in in PKL 11, no one should have any complaints with coach Krishna Kumar Hooda and the revered coach can rather be called unlucky. The season could have panned quite differently for Telugu Titans, had Pawan Sehrawat not been sidelined for that long stretch.

But if one still has to nitpick, maybe the coach could have roped in another proper raiding option alongside Pawan Sehrawat. While the all-rounders Vijay Malik and Ashish Narwal worked pretty well as stop gaps, another raider would have made a little more impact.

Lessons to be learned

The lesson that the coach and Telugu Titans should take away from this is that big names might falter and having a backup option never hurts, They need to regroup focus and rebuild the defence which has been one of the major causes of their season to go wayward.

Fans’ View

Telugu Titans have been underperforming for the last few seasons and the fans wanted the narrative to change this season. While they would be disappointed with yet another finish in the bottom half of the table, the team was on the right track with their performances had it not been for Pawan Sehrawat’s injury and Krishan Dhull’s shocking fall in form.

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