PKL 2025: Rampaging Bharat Hooda Leads Telugu Titans to 42-28 Win, Crush U Mumba to End Vizag Leg in Style
PKL 2025: Bharat Hooda’s unstoppable raid power guided Telugu Titans to a crushing 42-28 win over U Mumba, sealing the Vizag leg in style with dominant performance
It was an impressive finish to the Vizag leg for the home side Telugu Titans, who secured a 45-37 win over U Mumba at the Vishwanadh Sports Club on Wednesday night. Bharat Hooda led the charge with 13 points, while Chetan Sahu (6 points) and skipper Vijay Malik (5 points) played strong supporting roles, helping the Titans notch their third victory on the trot.
A strong start from the home team set the tone for the match, with Bharat ruling the roost. He opened with a multi-point raid, followed by Chetan’s tackle on Anil in a Do-or-Die raid. Another multi-point effort from Bharat – this time in a Do-or-Die raid – inflicted an ALL OUT on U Mumba in the 6th minute.
Skipper Vijay joined the party immediately after the ALL OUT with a successful raid on Rinku, as the Season 2 champions struggled to find their footing. Anil managed a touch point off Ankit, while Rinku responded with a tackle on Bharat. But Chetan struck again, dismissing Anil, and then turned raider to send Vijay Kumar off the mat, taking the score to 14-5 at the end of the first phase of play.
The rampage continued in the second phase, with another ALL OUT inflicted on U Mumba in the 14th minute. It was a big blow, stretching the scoreline to 18-7. For the side captained by Sunil Kumar, only Satish Kannan looked like a bright spark in the absence of their main raider, Ajit Chouhan.
Bharat Hooda kept piling on the damage in his team’s last outing in Vizag, producing a Super Raid that also brought up his Super 10. His single-handed brilliance left U Mumba reeling, as the scoreboard read 27-11 at halftime, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the second half.
U Mumba began well with a Super Tackle led by Sunil Kumar, who brought down Bharat with an impressive move. But unforced errors soon crept in, pushing them towards a third ALL OUT. That moment arrived when skipper Vijay earned a touch point on Satish.
Substitute Amirmohammad Zafardanesh couldn’t turn his team’s fortunes around, as he too was caught by Bharat, widening the lead to 20 points. He eventually managed to break through with a touch point on Avi Duhan, before Vijay Kumar tackled Bharat to provide U Mumba some much-needed respite. At the end of the third quarter, the scoreboard read 39-21.
With 10 minutes left on the clock, it was all about damage control for U Mumba. Substitute Sandeep made an impact, scoring six raid points for his side. But the Titans weren’t done yet – Shankar Gadai and Ajit Pawar combined to pin down Sandeep for a Super Tackle, further stretching the home team’s lead.
As the match drew to a close, the Titans finally conceded an ALL OUT after Zafardanesh dismissed both Shankar and Ajit in a single raid. U Mumba clawed their way back, cutting the deficit to just eight points, but the gap proved too much to overcome as the Telugu Titans wrapped up their home leg with an impressive victory.
The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2025 witnessed a thunderous end to its Visakhapatnam leg as Bharat Hooda and the Telugu Titans delivered a dominating performance to dismantle U Mumba with a comprehensive 42-28 victory. The Titans, cheered on by a passionate home crowd, displayed a perfect balance of raiding brilliance and defensive solidity, proving why they are a force to be reckoned with this season.
The night belonged to Bharat Hooda, who put on an electrifying show of raiding. From the very first whistle, he looked unstoppable, slicing through U Mumba’s defense with precision and confidence. Hooda scored a Super 10, finishing the match with 14 raid points, making him the standout performer of the clash.
His ability to switch between aggressive running hand touches and strategic bonus point raids kept the U Mumba defense guessing throughout. Every time U Mumba tried to stage a comeback, Hooda struck at the right moment, pushing them back under pressure.
While Hooda’s heroics drew the loudest cheers, the Titans’ defense deserves equal credit. Skipper Parvesh Bhainswal marshalled the defense with authority, executing crucial tackles at key moments. Alongside him, Sandeep Dhull and Mohit Rathore delivered flawless blocks and dashes, ensuring U Mumba’s raiders found little room to breathe.
The defensive unit executed two all-outs on U Mumba – once in the first half and once in the closing stages – widening the gap and cementing their control of the game.
For U Mumba, it was a night of missed opportunities and faltering execution. Raider Guman Singh managed a fighting 9 points, but he lacked consistent support from the rest of the attack. Their defensive errors, particularly in the left corner, proved costly as Hooda exploited gaps repeatedly.
Despite moments of resistance, U Mumba’s inability to convert half-chances into successful tackles allowed Telugu Titans to maintain momentum. By the time the second half began, the match was already tilting heavily in favor of the Titans.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was electrifying as thousands of Titans fans roared with every raid, tackle, and point. The home support clearly lifted the team’s confidence, and the players responded by finishing the Vizag leg on a high.
The 42-28 scoreline reflected not just dominance on the mat but also the emotional connect between the team and its home fans.
This emphatic victory boosts Telugu Titans’ chances of climbing up the PKL 2025 points table. With Bharat Hooda in red-hot form and the defense clicking as a unit, the Titans are shaping into strong playoff contenders.
Coach Manjeet Chhillar praised the team’s all-round effort, saying:
“We wanted to finish the Vizag leg in style, and the players delivered. Bharat was outstanding, but I am equally proud of the defense for maintaining discipline.”
Bharat Hooda – 14 raid points, Super 10.
Parvesh Bhainswal & Sandeep Dhull – rock-solid defensive combination.
Two all-outs inflicted on U Mumba by Titans.
Final Score: Telugu Titans 42 – U Mumba 28.
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