PKL 2025: Telugu Titans rides on momentum and crowd support to make it ‘three in three’ at adopted home in Chennai

Telugu Titans capped off an immensely successful Chennai leg of the 12th season of Pro Kabaddi League with a thumping 46-29 win over Haryana Steelers in front of a partisan and raucous crowd at the SDAT Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

The crowd support for Titans was so strong on the night that it led CEO Trinadh Reddy to dub Chennai as the team’s “home after Vizag”.

Love for the Titans began from the moment the team ran out onto the mat, with a booming roar echoing around the stadium. That enthusiasm showed no signs of abating as Titans raced into an early lead and executed two All-Outs in the first half, including one inside the first five minutes. Not even a Haryana Steelers All-Out could dampen the spirits of the crowd as Titans took a commanding grip on the game.

The biggest recipient of the crowd’s affection was Bharat Hooda. The all-rounder has had something of a revival in form since shifting over to Telugu Titans from UP Yoddhas, and has already registered more points this season than he managed in the last two. He has registered the fifth-most points in the tournament and has been a crucial part of Telugu Titans’ impressive form this season.

Playing the 100th match of his PKL career, a massive cheer greeted Hooda as he crossed the midline for his first raid, and he rode the wave of that momentum for the rest of the night, picking up 20 points – 16 raid points and four tackle points – including 15 in the first half alone.

The crowd was hooked to his every movement, waiting to see how he could enthral them with his next ambitious attempt to land points. A diving attempt to land a hand touch was met with gasps, while his slaloming run through Steelers’ defence to complete a Super Raid produced a pulsating cheer.

Hooda’s performance earned him high praise from Reddy. “Bharat is on some other planet,” he said after the match. “He’s doing extremely well.”

Hooda slowed down after half-time, but his captain, Vijay Malik, picked up from where he left off. Malik, along with Telugu Titans’ defence, ensured that his side chipped away at Haryana Steelers, culminating in a third All-Out just after the midpoint of the second half.

Vijay Malik in action during the match between Telugu Titans and Haryana Steelers in Chennai on Wednesday.
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With the result a foregone conclusion, the crowd seemed to enter something of a tittering lull as the game came to a close. Perhaps it was saving its energy for the almighty roar that would meet the full-time whistle, a collective exhale of jubilation to put the seal on a Chennai leg that has seen Titans win all three of their matches. 

Malik too paid tribute to the fans after the match, saying, “Whenever we’ve played matches here, there has been a fantastic environment. The kabaddi fans here show love to all the players, all teams. I’d like to thank all the Chennai locals who have come here to support us from the bottom of my heart.”

Telugu Titans’ perfect record in Chennai is part of a longer five-match winning streak that leaves it well-placed to reach the next stage of the tournament. It may be too early to suggest that Telugu Titans is on track for its elusive maiden title, but it can look forward to the Delhi leg of the tournament knowing that it enthralled fans in its adopted home.

Published on Oct 09, 2025