Telugu Titans to take on U Mumba today in opener

Hyderabad: VIVO Pro Kabaddi League, one of the most-anticipated sporting events of the calendar back with Season 7 begins on July 20 in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

At the unveiling of the coveted trophy here on Friday, the captain of all 12 teams came together to speak about the excitement for the upcoming season.

The opening match starts at 7 pm with home favourite Telugu Titans taking on U Mumba followed by the second match at 8.30pm between defending champions Bengaluru Bulls and three-time winners Patna Pirates

The toughest 12 representing each team as captains; Maninder Singh from Bengal Warriors, Joginder Narwal from Dabang Delhi, Sunil Kumar from Gujarat Fortunegiants, Rohit Kumar from defending champions - Bengaluru Bulls, Dharmraj Cherlathan from Haryana Steelers, Deepak Hooda from Jaipur Pink Panthers, Pardeep Narwal for Patna Pirates, Surjeet Singh from Puneri Paltans, Ajay Thakur from Tamil Thalaivas, Abozar Mohajermighani from Telugu Titans, Nitesh Kumar from UP Yoddha and Fazel Atrachali from U Mumba were in attendance ahead of the league opening in Hyderabad.

Ajay Thakur, captain of Tamil Thalaivas said: "Rahul and I have been playing for some time now for team India and we have great chemistry but this is the first occasion where both of us will be seen together in PKL. I believe it is going to be great and for our fans as well to watch us supporting each other during the game. I have always believed that hard work pays off and we have been working very hard for the success of our team. Once the season is underway, we will be able to tell easily who are the teams that have worked hard to improve."

Abozar of Telugu Titans said: "Our team composition is made up of strong raiders, a strong defense line and moreover good coaches, so you can call us the strongest team in the competition. Our players are fit and have been practicing continuously for the tournament. We will have a plan to approach every match and aim to win one match at a time. Our performances in the previous years have been strong and I hope we will be able to make it to the semi-finals this year".

Fazel of U Mumba said: "We fought hard last season and we will continue to do the same this year as well. This season also we have youngsters with us who have shown the same dedication and promise as Sidharth. Sidharth and I know each other well and we do have a plan to tackle which you will see in the game tomorrow".

Deepak of Jaipur Pink Panthers said: "We have 8 to 9 youngsters in our team this year and this new talent will certainly bring some energy and help the team to win matches. We have been practicing very hard and the youngsters have shown the right intent and hard work necessary to play games at this level. As a team we will be focusing on all our matches one at a time. We will be playing all the teams and so it will be interesting to see the performance of the players against each of the teams".

Nitesh of UP Yoddha remarked: "Being the youngest captain is not added pressure to my game and performance. My goal for this season is to ensure that I put in 100 per cent and prove myself and ensure that the team makes it to the finals." Joginder of Dabang Delhi KC said: "Our performance last season was very encouraging and the team has been training with the same energy and passion for the last one and a half months at the camp in Delhi. Last season, the only place we lacked was our defense and we've worked hard to make sure we don't repeat the same mistakes. This year, the players on defense have meticulously practiced their skills and are close to perfecting them. Last year, we made it all the way to the semi-finals and this year, we hope to make it to the finals."

Rohit Kumar of Bengaluru Bulls said: "All teams are extremely competitive, but I believe Gujarat Fortunegiants and Tamil Thalaivas are our strongest competitors this season. This year, we aim to win maximum matches and even if we lose, I hope it will it would be a very close one. The 45-day long camp has helped us train and practice extremely hard and with that intensity we are prepared for the match against Patna Pirates tomorrow and will give our 100 per cent and try to win the first match of the season."

Surjeet of Puneri Paltans said: "We have a very good combination of both senior and new young players this season which makes us a very strong team as we have the best of the talent. We have some new talent and have practiced on our skills and techniques to make sure we give the best of our performance on the mat."

Sunil of Gujarat Fortunegiants: "This season, just like last season, we have got a lot of new young talent which we believe will be our secret weapons. We are looking forward and putting all our efforts to make sure we win the finals this time."

Pardeep skipper of Patna Pirates said: "We've won the championship thrice and we will do it again this season. 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."

Haryana Steelers captain Dharmraj said: "The team is mentally and physically prepared for the new season, and we aim to play well with strategic and smart thinking."

Maninder of Bengal Warriors said:"There is a lot of excitement and pressure. I am looking forward to getting back in the game with fierce competitiveness that the new format has brought, we have trained rigorously and are looking forward to taking the trophy home this year."

The LIVE coverage of the new season will begin at 7pm with the pre-show KBD LIVE, whilst matches will begin at 7:30 pm and will be broadcasted on the Star Sports Network and Hotstar.