Bengaluru Bulls face Telugu Titans in Mini Qualifier of PKL 12 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium, Delhi. The Bulls (3rd position, 11 wins from 18 matches) exceeded expectations under new coach BC Ramesh, facing the resurgent Titans (4th position, 10 wins from 18 matches) who qualified for playoffs after seven seasons under Krishan Kumar Hooda. Both teams have a chance to qualify even if they lose this match, presenting a compelling Southern Derby between two teams that surpassed expectations.

Probable Starting 7

Bengaluru Bulls

  • Right Corner – Yogesh (C)
  • Right In – Aashish Malik
  • Right Cover – Sanjay
  • Centre – Akash Shinde
  • Left Cover – Satyappa Matti
  • Left In – Alireza Mirzaian
  • Left Corner – Deepak Sankar

Telugu Titans

  • Right Corner – Shubham Shinde
  • Right In – Bharat
  • Right Cover – Avi Duhan
  • Centre – Manjeet
  • Left Cover – Ajit Pawar
  • Left In – Vijay Malik (C)
  • Left Corner – Ankit

Headlines

➢ Both teams have a chance to qualify even if they lose this match

➢ The two teams exceeded expectations and finished 3rd and 4th in the table

➢ Veteran coaches Krishan Hooda and BC Ramesh have turned around the fortunes for the clubs

➢ Vijay Malik and Bharat formed a good raiding duo for the Telugu Titans

➢ The corners Ankit and Shubham Shinde were the best defenders

➢ They started with 2 losses but have then found their strengths

➢ Bengaluru Bulls had Alireza Mirzaian leading their raiding unit

➢ He is one of 7 raiders in the league to average at least 10 raid points in the league

➢ Deepak Sankar at left corner stepped in excellently for Ankush, was the Bulls' best defender

➢ Bulls have the 2nd best tackle SR% in the league

➢ The two sides met once in the league stage, where Bulls won a thriller

Top Stories of the Match

Two Veteran Coaches BC Ramesh and Krishan Kumar Hooda Face Off in Southern Derby

Both the sides have recently hired veteran coaches to turn around their fortunes and both coaches have delivered.

Telugu Titans hired Krishan Kumar Hooda in PKL 11 and after just missing out on playoffs this season, he has taken them to the playoffs, finishing in 4th place in the league in PKL 12.

Coach Krishan Kumar Hooda, who won the title with Dabang Delhi in PKL 8 and has also reached the playoffs with Delhi for 4 consecutive seasons.

PKL 6: Semifinals

PKL 7: Runners Up

PKL 8: Champions

PKL 9: Eliminator

The Bulls also changed coaches. After 11 years, they changed Randhir Sehrawat, who has the longest coaching streak in PKL history.

The Bulls have replaced one of the most experienced coaches with a competitive and result-driven coach of modern-day Kabaddi, BC Ramesh.

Coach BC Ramesh has already won 3 titles – 2 as Head Coach and 1 as Assistant Coach.

PKL 6 with Bengaluru Bulls (Assistant Coach)

PKL 7 with Bengal Warriorz

PKL 10 with Puneri Paltan

In the last 6 seasons, BC Ramesh has made it to 4 playoffs, and in the previous 3 times, his team has played the Final.

Great Raiding Duo Takes on a Great Corner Duo

Vijay Malik and Bharat are a big part of why the Telugu Titans reached the playoffs.

Both of them managed to form an excellent raiding duo and had 140+ raid points in the season.

Vijay Malik and Bharat in PKL 12:

Vijay Malik: 18 matches, 142 raid points (7.9 average, 49% SR, 5 Super 10s)

Bharat: 18 matches, 172 raid points (9.6 average, 60% SR, 8 Super 10s)

When the two sides met earlier this season, Bharat was the best raider in the game and had an outstanding Super 10.

Vijay Malik also performed well but fell short of his Super 10. The duo will look to repeat that performance.

Telugu Titans raiders vs Bengaluru Bulls M#34 PKL 12:

Bharat: 19 raids, 13 raid points at 68% SR

Vijay Malik: 18 raids, 9 raid points at 50% SR

Bharat starts off the match in aggressive fashion and is amazing in the first half. His raid strike rate drops a little bit in the second half.

Bharat raiding by half in PKL 12:

1st half: 99 raid points at 65% SR

2nd half: 73 raid points at 55% SR

Vijay Malik is an expert at getting bonus points and has 57 bonus points, which is the 3rd most bonus points in the league this season.

Most bonus points in PKL 12:

Devank: 77 bonus points

Gagan Gowda: 63 bonus points

Vijay Malik: 57 bonus points

Bharat is excellent when the bonus point is active and in Super Tackle situations, but he is not the greatest when there are 4-5 defenders on the mat.

Vijay Malik only does well when the bonus line is active; he struggles in the other 2 DIP scenarios. He has got almost all his raid points when the bonus line was active in PKL 12.

Vijay Malik raiding DIP-wise in PKL 12:

6-7 DIP: 130 raid points at 56% SR

4-5 DIP: 2 raid points at 6% SR

2-3 DIP: 2 raid points at 11% SR

Bharat raiding DIP-wise in PKL 12:

6-7 DIP: 108 raid points at 79% SR

4-5 DIP: 32 raid points at 30% SR

2-3 DIP: 32 raid points at 74% SR

As a result, the raiding unit struggles when there are 4-5 defenders on the mat; they have the 2nd lowest raid strike rate in the league in these situations.

Lowest raid SR% in 4-5 DIP in PKL 12:

Gujarat Giants: 41 raid points at 17% SR

Telugu Titans: 48 raid points at 22% SR

Bengaluru Bulls: 66 raid points at 23% SR

This could prove to be the crucial area, as they are facing a team that has the best tackle strike rate in the entire league when there are 4-5 defenders on the mat.

Best tackle SR% in 4-5 DIP in PKL 12:

Bengaluru Bulls: 48 tackle points at 55% SR

Dabang Delhi: 64 tackle points at 54% SR

UP Yoddhas: 70 tackle points at 53% SR

The Bengaluru Bulls defensive unit is the main reason they have qualified for the playoffs.

Bengaluru Bulls defence unit in PKL 12:

Matches: 18

Tackle points: 207

Average tackle points: 11.5

Tackle SR%: 46%

They have the 2nd best tackle strike rate in the entire league this season.

Best tackle SR% in PKL 12:

Puneri Paltan: 47% SR

Bengaluru Bulls: 46% SR

U Mumba: 45% SR

Deepak Sankar and Yogesh—the corners—have been amazing this season and have been carrying the defensive unit.

Both the defenders have crossed the 50 tackle point mark in PKL 12.

Both the corners have a tackle strike rate greater than 50% this year.

Bengaluru Bulls corners in PKL 12:

Deepak Sankar: 17 matches, 59 tackle points (3.5 average, 60% SR, 5 High 5s)

Yogesh: 18 matches, 51 tackle points (2.8 average, 52% SR, 3 High 5s)

Deepak Sankar has come in place of Ankush and has contributed the most to their change in form after a disastrous start to the campaign.

He now has the 3rd-best average tackle points in the entire league.

Best average tackle points in PKL 12 (20+ tackle points):

Nitesh Kumar: 18 matches, 65 tackle points (3.6 average, 53% SR)

Jaideep: 19 matches, 68 tackle points (3.6 average, 66% SR)

Deepak Sankar: 17 matches, 59 tackle points (3.5 average, 60% SR)

He is very slow to start games and does not do well in the first 10 minutes of the game but picks it up in the other 3 ten-minute intervals.

Deepak Sankar defence in PKL by intervals in PKL 12:

1-10 mins: 12 tackle points at 41% SR

11-20 mins: 17 tackle points at 71% SR

21-30 mins: 16 tackle points at 64% SR

31-40 mins: 14 tackle points at 70% SR

Yogesh is excellent in all the 3 DIP situations and has a tackle strike rate of almost 50% in each of the three situations. He only misses out on 50% tackle strike rate when bonus line is active.

Yogesh defending DIP-wise in PKL 12:

6-7 DIP: 32 tackle points at 48% SR

4-5 DIP: 13 tackle points at 62% SR

2-3 DIP: 6 tackle points at 55% SR

Yogesh is the only defender in the Bulls starting lineup who has experience in the playoffs and has done well so far.

Yogesh in PKL playoffs:

Matches: 2

Tackle points: 8

Average tackle points: 4.0

Tackle SR%: 59%

In covers, Satyappa Matti has the most assists in PKL 12 by far.

Most assists in PKL 12:

Satyappa Matti: 83 assists

Sunil Kumar: 67 assists

Ronak: 66 assists

It is evident that when the defence gets going, the chances of the Bulls' win increase.

Bengaluru Bulls defence in PKL 12:

Wins (11 matches): 269 tackles, 146 tackle points (13.3 average, 54% SR)

Losses (7 matches): 181 tackles, 61 tackle points (8.7 average, 34% SR)

Team Stories

Bengaluru Bulls – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results:

M#106 vs Gujarat Giants – Won 54–26

M#104 vs Bengal Warriorz – Won 54–24

M#94 vs Dabang Delhi – Won 33–23

M#88 vs Patna Pirates – Lost 32(5)–32(6) (tie-breaker)

M#80 vs Telugu Titans – Won 43–32

Bengaluru Bulls have overcome their disappointment last season. They hadn't qualified for two seasons and finished last in the league last season.

They started the season in poor form—losing the first three games—but turned it around to finish 3rd in the league and qualify to the playoffs.

They ended the league winning 6 of the last 7 games, and the only game they lost was in tie-breaker.

BC Ramesh has taken over the Bengaluru Bulls and taken them straight to the playoffs in the very first season.

Deepak Sankar stepped up in defence for the team and has been their best defender this season. He also averages the 3rd most tackle points in the entire league.

Yogesh has also repaid the trust in the Bulls as he has performed well this season after being bought for more than 1 crore in the auction.

Alireza has been their lead raider and is one of 7 raiders in the league to average at least 10 raid points per game.

Alireza Mirzaian Puts in Huge Effort in Raiding for the Bulls

Before the season began, Akash Shinde was expected to be the lead raider for the Bengaluru Bulls this season.

However, that was not the case, as it was Alireza who showed that he is the lead raider and ended the league as one of 7 players to average at least 10 raid points per game.

Alireza Mirzaian in PKL 12:

Matches: 18

Raid points: 180

Average raid points: 10.0

Raid SR%: 58%

Super 10s: 12

Alireza had 12 Super 10s out of 18 games this season, which is the 3rd highest in the league this season.

Most Super 10s in PKL 12:

Devank: 15 Super 10s

Ayan: 13 Super 10s

Alireza Mirzaian: 12 Super 10s

Alireza has been the DoD situation expert not just for the Bulls, but he has the joint most raid points in DoD situations in the entire league.

Most raid points in DoD situations – PKL 12:

Alireza Mirzaian: 34 raid points at 69% SR

Ayan: 34 raid points at 103% SR

Arjun Deshwal: 23 raid points at 77% SR

Alireza is very good when the bonus line is active and in Super Tackle situations but struggles a bit when there are 4-5 defenders on the mat.

Alireza raiding in PKL 12 by DIP:

6-7 DIP: 104 raid points at 72% SR

4-5 DIP: 32 raid points at 31% SR

2-3 DIP: 39 raid points at 66% SR

The Bulls as a raiding unit also struggle in situations with 4-5 defenders on the mat. They have the 3rd lowest raid strike rate in the league in these situations.

Lowest raid SR% in 4-5 DIP in PKL 12:

Gujarat Giants: 41 raid points at 17% SR

Telugu Titans: 48 raid points at 22% SR

Bengaluru Bulls: 66 raid points at 23% SR

Aashish Malik and Akash Shinde have tried to provide good support for Alireza throughout the season.

Of the two, Akash Shinde has been better and has a raid strike rate greater than 50%. Aashish Malik will need to step up.

Bengaluru Bulls support raiders in PKL 12:

Aashish Malik: 73 raid points (4.6 average, 37% SR)

Akash Shinde: 58 raid points (4.1 average, 52% SR)

Telugu Titans – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results:

M#103 vs Haryana Steelers – Lost 34–45

M#100 vs Tamil Thalaivas – Won 44–43

M#96 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers – Lost 30–38

M#91 vs Patna Pirates – Lost 49–51

M#85 vs Dabang Delhi – Won 45–45 (tie-breaker 7-5)

Telugu Titans have completely turned around their fortunes this season and have qualified for the playoffs after 7 seasons. The last time they played in knockouts was in PKL 4.

They lost the first two matches of the season but have then won 10 of the next 16 games to finish in 4th place.

Coach Krishan Kumar Hooda has turned around their fortunes in just two seasons. They now have two opportunities, after missing out narrowly in the previous season.

Captain Vijay Malik and Bharat have been amazing; they have formed the best raiding duo in the league.

The one time the two sides met this season, Bharat was the best performer—picking up a Super 10—and Vijay Malik fell just 1 short of a Super 10.

Defence has been Telugu Titans' strength, as they have the 5th highest average tackle points in the league this season.

Titans' Defence Key to Their Results

Telugu Titans' defence has been one of their strengths this season, as they had a strong finish to the season.

They are one of 5 teams to average more than 11 tackle points per game in PKL 12.

Telugu Titans defence in PKL 12:

Matches: 18

Tackle points: 199

Average tackle points: 11.1

Tackle SR%: 44%

Telugu Titans have won 10 games overall. Their defence has been key in supporting Vijay Malik and Bharat to pull off such an amazing streak.

Telugu Titans defence in PKL 12:

Wins (10 matches): 242 tackles, 121 tackle points (12.1 average, 50% SR)

Losses (8 matches): 210 tackles, 78 tackle points (9.8 average, 37% SR)

Corners Shubham Shinde and Ankit have been their best defenders so far.

All 4 defenders have a tackle strike rate greater than 40% but lesser than 50%, which indicates a team performance rather than individual brilliance.

Telugu Titans defence in PKL 12:

Ankit: 47 tackle points (2.6 average, 47% SR)

Shubham Shinde: 44 tackle points (2.4 average, 48% SR)

Ajit Pawar: 33 tackle points (1.8 average, 46% SR)

Avi Duhan: 27 tackle points (1.6 average, 43% SR)

Ankit has shown significant performance improvement from last season, increasing both his average tackle points and tackle strike rate.

But what stands out is his contribution through assists, which has jumped up by a huge number this season.

Ankit in PKL (season-wise):

PKL 11: 42 tackle points (2.0 average, 41% SR, 5 assists)

PKL 12: 47 tackle points (2.6 average, 47% SR, 38 assists)

Ankit is much better in the second half as compared to the first half this season.

Ankit defence by half in PKL 12:

1st half: 17 tackle points at 40% SR

2nd half: 30 tackle points at 53% SR

Ajit Pawar has the most assists for Telugu Titans with 56 assists to his name.

Shubham Shinde is good when there are 2-3 defenders and has a tackle strike rate greater than 75% in that DIP situation in PKL 12.

Shubham Shinde defence DIP-wise in PKL 12:

6-7 DIP: 22 tackle points at 43% SR

4-5 DIP: 12 tackle points at 43% SR

2-3 DIP: 10 tackle points at 77% SR

Head-to-Head in PKL

Overall: Matches – 26 | Bengaluru Bulls – 17 | Telugu Titans – 5 | Tied – 4

Since PKL 9: Matches – 7 | Bengaluru Bulls – 5 | Telugu Titans – 2

Bengaluru Bulls have dominated the matchup with Telugu Titans for the most part.

They had a 14-match unbeaten streak from PKL 5 to PKL 10 against the Titans. Titans broke the streak in PKL 11 by winning both the matches.

They met earlier this season, and the Bengaluru Bulls won a close game, beating the Titans by 2 points.

Alireza and Bharat were at their best for the two sides as each of them had a Super 10 in a raiding-dominated match.

Neither team had double-digit tackle points in the match.

Recent Form (Last 5 meetings):

M#34 PKL 12: Bengaluru Bulls won 34–32

M#30 PKL 11: Telugu Titans won 38–35

M#1 PKL 11: Telugu Titans won 37–29

M#78 PKL 10: Bengaluru Bulls won 42–26

M#39 PKL 10: Bengaluru Bulls won 33–31

Key Player Battles

Bengaluru Bulls Raiders vs Telugu Titans Defenders

Alireza Mirzaian 5–1 Ankit

Alireza Mirzaian 1–1 Shubham Shinde

Akash Shinde 0–1 Ajit Pawar

Telugu Titans Raiders vs Bengaluru Bulls Defenders

Bharat 3–0 Satyappa Matti

Bharat 2–1 Yogesh

Bharat 1–1 Deepak Sankar

Vijay Malik 2–0 Deepak Sankar

Vijay Malik 1–1 Yogesh

What to Expect

This Mini Qualifier presents an intriguing Southern Derby between two teams that exceeded expectations—Bengaluru Bulls finishing 3rd under new coach BC Ramesh against Telugu Titans securing 4th position in their playoff return after seven seasons under Krishan Kumar Hooda. Both teams possess secondary qualification opportunities should they lose, potentially influencing tactical approaches.

The central contest revolves around contrasting strengths—Telugu Titans' dynamic raiding duo versus Bengaluru Bulls' formidable corner combination. Vijay Malik (142 raid points at 49% strike rate) and Bharat (172 raid points at 60% strike rate) constitute the league's most productive pairing, having demonstrated their compatibility in their previous encounter where Bharat secured a Super 10 (13 points at 68% strike rate) whilst Vijay contributed 9 points.

However, their collective vulnerability in 4-5 DIP situations (22% strike rate, second-lowest in league) directly confronts Bengaluru's primary defensive strength—league-leading 55% tackle strike rate in identical scenarios. This matchup asymmetry presents critical tactical importance.

Bengaluru's corner combination provides elite defensive infrastructure. Deepak Sankar (59 tackle points at 60% strike rate, 3.5 average—third-best in league) and Yogesh (51 tackle points at 52% strike rate) form the foundation of the league's second-best defensive unit (46% strike rate overall). Deepak's interval-specific progression—improving from 41% in opening ten minutes to 70% in closing stages—suggests increasing effectiveness as matches progress.

Conversely, Alireza Mirzaian's raiding excellence (180 points at 58% strike rate, 12 Super 10s—third-most in league) faces Telugu Titans' balanced defensive quartet. Whilst no individual defender exceeds 50% strike rate, their collective consistency (all four between 43-48%) indicates systematic defensive cohesion averaging 11.1 tackle points—fifth-best in league.

The coaching dimension adds psychological intrigue. BC Ramesh's championship pedigree (three titles, four playoff appearances in six seasons) confronts Krishan Kumar Hooda's established credentials (PKL 8 champions, four consecutive playoff qualifications with Delhi). Both have engineered remarkable turnarounds—Ramesh transforming last-placed Bulls to playoff contenders, Hooda guiding Titans to their first playoffs since PKL 4.

The 4-5 DIP battleground presents decisive significance. Telugu Titans' raiding struggles in these situations directly oppose Bengaluru's defensive excellence, whilst Bulls' reciprocal raiding weakness (23% strike rate, third-lowest) faces Titans' defensive competence. The team that effectively navigates their vulnerability whilst exploiting opponents' weakness will likely prevail.

Bharat's first-half dominance (99 points at 65% strike rate versus 73 points at 55% in second half) contrasts with Deepak Sankar's slow starts (41% in opening ten minutes), suggesting Telugu Titans may establish early advantage before Bengaluru's defensive intensity increases.

The previous encounter—a closely contested 34-32 Bulls victory featuring Super 10s from both Alireza and Bharat with minimal defensive impact—suggests high-scoring potential. However, both teams have strengthened defensive performances since, particularly Bengaluru's late-season surge (six wins in final seven matches).

Expect a tactical, closely contested encounter determined by 4-5 DIP execution and defensive intensity during critical moments. Bengaluru's superior defensive infrastructure and Alireza's consistent excellence provide marginal advantage, though Telugu Titans' dual raiding threats and first-half aggression possess capacity to establish commanding positions. The winner will secure direct passage to Qualifier 2, whilst the loser retains qualification hopes through alternative pathways. Bengaluru's defensive cohesion and Deepak Sankar's peak form suggest they possess slight advantage, though Telugu Titans' raiding firepower and Bharat's explosive capabilities make this genuinely unpredictable.

Match Details

  • Match: Bengaluru Bulls vs Telugu Titans – Mini Qualifier, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Sunday, 26th October 2025
  • Time: 9:00 PM IST
  • Venue: Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium, Delhi
  • LIVE Streaming: Watch LIVE on Star Sports Network and JioHotstar.
  • For LIVE scores and updates, visit prokabaddi.com or download the Pro Kabaddi Official App.

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