The Tamil Thalaivas have lost three out of the last four matches they have played. Their form this season has been quite horrendous and we think their style of playing is becoming outdated in an evolving PKL.
Interestingly, though, that lone win came against the Telugu Titans.
The Tamil Thalaivas are finding it very tough to score points consistently. Ajay Thakur is the only player that is any credible threat to the opposition and he also seems to play a lot more cautiously than his team can afford.
27 points have been the highest that the side has scored in the last four matches. Opposition teams seem to target Ajay Thakur on the mat and know that if they can keep him in check, then more than half the job will be done against the Tamil Thalaivas.
It's not like Ajay Thakur is having a very bad season, either. He has scored 131 points this season of the PKL at an impressive average of 9.36 raid points per game. His recent form has been a bit patchy, though, and he does not fill us with confidence at the moment.
Another veteran player for the Tamil Thalaivas that is having a good season is Manjeet Chillar. The leader of the defense, Chillar is just one tackle point shy from his total last season. He and Thakur have had good individual seasons but lacked the support from the other players in the side to get more wins for the Tamil Thalaivas.
The Telugu Titans are a unique team in the Pro Kabaddi League. It is the only side in the PKL at the moment which builds its entire strategy around defense. The Titans started the season very strong but have hit a few speed breakers since then.
Two wins and a tie from the last five matches is not a bad return for the Titans but a failure to win against the Tamil Thalaivas and U.P. Yoddha would rankle.
The Telugu Titans are very good at keeping opposition sides to a low score and so can get away with some low totals of their own. Abozar Mohajermighani and Vishal Bhardwaj will lead the defense for the side and we can be a hundred percent sure that they will have Ajay Thakur in their sights.
Point scoring can be an issue for the Titans sometimes and this where Rahul Chaudhari comes in. A world-class raider, Rahul Chaudhari has 44 points in his last five matches. He will be the biggest threat to the Tamil Thalaivas for sure.
The Telugu Titans and the Tamil Thalaivas have played each other 5 times in the past with the Tamil Thalaivas winning just once. That victory came in the most recent encounter between the two sides and will be fresh in the memory of both teams.
The Telugu Titans are a better side than the Tamil Thalaivas in our opinion. They have more players contributing in the side and seem to have Rahul Chaudhari in prime form once again.
Back the Telugu Titans to win.