PKL 12 Auction: Telugu Titans bag Bharat Hooda for 81 Lakhs

Bharat Hooda was released by UP Yoddhas ahead of the PKL 12 auction.

Telugu Titans have secured the services of Bharat Hooda for ₹81 lakh at the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12) auction and edged out Bengal Warriors and Puneri Paltan in a tense bidding war.  The 23-year-old all-rounder, who last season turned out for UP Yoddhas, will now start for the southern team.

Bharat Hooda, who entered the league with Bengaluru Bulls in Season 8, was bought for a massive ₹1.30 crore by UP Yoddhas in the previous auction. Expectations were sky-high, but the season didn’t go as planned. He registered 116 points over 23 matches, including 102 raid points.

Despite the slump, he still managed five Super 10s and four Super Raids, maintaining an average of 4.43 raid points per match and staying not out in 75.74% of his raids. In defense, though less prominent, he chipped in with 14 tackle points at a 41% success rate.

While his performance in Season 10 was a dip compared to his standout Season 9, where he earned the Best Raider award, wore the Green Band, and took home the Dream11 Gamechanger prize, Telugu Titans see long-term value. His ability to lead raids under pressure and adapt across formats makes him one of the solid buys.

Bharat Hooda is a proven performer

Since entering the PKL in Season 8, Bharat Hooda has played 87 matches and collected 636 points. That’s no small feat. Let’s break it down. In offence, he has gone in for 1,043 raids. Out of those, 479 were successful.

He’s added up 599 total raid points, which include 463 touch points and 136 bonus points. His raid success rate? A strong 57.43%. He’s also delivered 22 Super Raids and earned 28 Super 10s.

On the defensive front, he has executed 105 tackles and completed 37 successfully, resulting in a tackle success rate of 35.24%. Though not a traditional defender, his efforts add depth to the roster, especially in high-pressure scenarios.

His average of 0.42 successful tackles per match shows that while he isn’t a go-to defender, he brings value in broken-play situations.

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