PKL 2019 | Main target is to qualify for playoffs, says Gholamreza Mazandarani

Telugu Titans will be lucky enough to kick start their PKL season 7 campaign with their home leg in Hyderabad. The revamped side from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will be eager to perform well in the first game when they will take on U Mumba side. Telugu Titans are coached by former U Mumba coach Iranian Gholamreza Mazandarani who, before the first game, has underlined the fact that he knows a lot of players in the U Mumba outfit.

"It's a fact that I know a lot of players in the U Mumba squad and their strengths and weakness. But that doesn't really matter. We have to play to our strengths. We have star raider Siddharth Desai in our side. A lot depends on how he performs. Our main target is to qualify for playoffs," Mazandarani was quoted as saying by Times of India.

The second game of the evening will be played between defending champions Bengaluru Bulls and three-time league winners Patna Pirates. Both the teams will be led by their last year’s skippers Rohit Kumar and Pardeep Narwal in the seventh season as well with the experience of Randhir Singh and Ram Mehar Singh in the Bulls and Pirates camp respectively.

Speaking about the expectation from the team, Rohit said that they want to give their best to win most of the game. “We are aiming to win the maximum of the matches and even if we lose, it should be with the minimum difference,” Rohit said before their first game, reported Sportstar.

On the other hand, Patna skipper Pardeep explained, “We are a strong and balanced side and there’s nothing that will stop us. Personally, I’m also working on some new moves which you’ll see on the mat in our opening game.”