The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2025 saw a fiery start on Friday with the Tamil Thalaivas defeating home side Telugu Titans 38-35 in Vizag.
Thalaivas delivered an exceptional performance
Arjun Deshwal of Tamil Thalaivas, known for his speed, agility, and calm raiding style, performed brilliantly with his Super 10, while team captain Pawan Sehrawat added 9 points to the tally.
The all-rounder of Telugu Titans, Bharat Hooda, kept the contest alive with 9 points. However, the Thalaivas delivered an exceptional performance to win the first match of the season, which will conclude on October 23.
Arjun picked up from where he left off
Last season, Arjun was the lead raider for Jaipur Pink Panthers, consistently delivering Super 10s and finishing with 250+ raid points. He picked up from where he left off, scoring the opening raid and giving his new team, Tamil Thalaivas, the lead. Arjun was in complete rhythm before Telugu Titans’ Vijay Malik opened the account for his side.
Bharat Hooda brought the Titans back
With 28 Super 10s in his PKL career and over 640 total points, Bharat Hooda — both a raider and defender — brought the Titans back into the game. He delivered two successful raids in crucial moments, shifting the momentum and helping the Titans level the scores at 5-5 within the first 10 minutes.
The first half was a close fight, with both sides matching points. While Bharat Hooda reached a milestone of his 600th raid in PKL, Arjun Deshwal collected 7 raid points. By halftime, the Thalaivas edged ahead with a 14-13 lead.
Arjun and Pawan Sehrawat changed the game
The second half began cautiously before Bharat Hooda broke through, dismissing Himanshu and Suresh Jadhav of Tamil Thalaivas. This effort sparked the Titans, who soon inflicted the season’s first All-Out, surging ahead 19-14. However, Arjun kept the Thalaivas alive and completed his first Super 10 of the season.
The match turned dramatically when the Thalaivas’ raiding duo, Arjun and Pawan Sehrawat, attacked in tandem to level the score at 28-28. In the final moments, Pawan Sehrawat produced a brilliant Super Raid to seal a thrilling 38-35 victory for Tamil Thalaivas.