Table-toppers Puneri Paltan seek redemption against Telugu Titans in Qualifier 2 of PKL 12 after their tiebreaker loss to Dabang Delhi in Qualifier 1. Telugu Titans arrive as challengers with momentum, having defeated Patna Pirates convincingly in Eliminator 3 through exceptional raiding from Bharat and captain Vijay Malik. This virtual semifinal will determine which team reaches the final.

Probable Starting 7

Puneri Paltan

  • Right Corner – Gaurav Khatri
  • Right In – Aditya Shinde
  • Right Cover – Abinesh Nadarajan
  • Centre – Pankaj Mohite
  • Left Cover – Gurdeep
  • Left In – Aslam Inamdar (C)
  • Left Corner – Vishal Bhardwaj

Telugu Titans

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

Headlines

➢ Bharat carrying the hopes of Telugu Titans with outstanding form

➢ Captain Vijay Malik providing excellent support

➢ Puneri Paltan unlucky to lose in tiebreaker in Qualifier 1

➢ Puneri Paltan banking on their elite defence

➢ Gaurav Khatri leading defensive duties

➢ Aditya Shinde stepping up at crucial time

➢ Titans' defence improved after poor Mini Qualifier showing

➢ Shubham Shinde and Ankit nearing 50 tackle points

Top Stories of the Match

Bharat – Carrying Titans' Hopes, Captain Vijay Malik in Support

Bharat delivered a joint second-best playoff raiding performance in Pro Kabaddi history, scoring 23 raid points at 88 per cent success rate in Eliminator 3 against Patna Pirates.

Best Raiding Performances in Playoffs – PKL Overall

Raider

Match

Raids

Raid Points

Raid SR%

Pardeep Narwal

PKL 5 Eliminator 2 (2017)

32

34

106.25%

Pardeep Narwal

PKL 5 Qualifier 2 (2017)

36

23

63.89%

Bharat

Eliminator 3 (2025)

26

23

88.46%

Vijay Malik ably supported with five points including a tackle point. Both raiders secured Super 10s against Bengaluru Bulls in the Mini Qualifier, each achieving 70%+ success rates.

Vijay Malik and Bharat Hooda in PKL 12

Player

Matches

Raid Points

Avg Raid Points

Raid SR%

Super 10s

Vijay Malik

20

156

7.8

50%

6

Bharat Hooda

20

207

10.4

63%

10

Bharat dominates early matches, maintaining superior form in the first half (112 raid points at 65% success rate). Vijay Malik represents an expert at bonus point raiding, accumulating 69 bonus points – the league's second-highest. However, both struggle outside bonus-active situations: Vijay manages only four raid points in other defender-in-play scenarios, whilst Bharat struggles against four to five defenders.

Puneri Paltan with Elite Defence Facing Dynamic Duo

Puneri Paltan possess the league's best defensive structure, averaging 12.1 tackle points at 47 per cent success rate. Their strength concentrates within exceptional corner pairing.

Best Average Tackle Points in PKL 12

Team

Avg Tackle Points

Tackle SR%

Puneri Paltan

12.1

47%

Haryana Steelers

11.8

45%

U Mumba

11.8

45%

Gaurav Khatri has accumulated 54 tackle points, leading their defensive charge. He performs consistently across all match intervals and maintains 68 per cent playoff success rate with 3.0 average tackle points. Against Telugu Titans previously, he registered 7.0 tackle points at 87 per cent success.

Vishal Bhardwaj maintains 50%+ success across all defender-in-play situations, whilst Gurdeep contributes 40 tackle points at 47 per cent success rate.

Team Stories

Puneri Paltan – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results

  • Qualifier 1 vs Dabang Delhi – Lost 34(4)–34(6) (tiebreaker defeat)
  • M#99 vs Patna Pirates – Lost 27–38 (11-point defeat)
  • M#95 vs Telugu Titans – Lost 31–40 (9-point defeat)
  • M#86 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers – Won 57–33 (24-point victory)

Puneri Paltan finished first in the league with exceptional form, winning seven consecutive matches before deliberately resting players. Their tiebreaker loss in Qualifier 1 proved agonising despite maintaining superior overall performance.

Aditya Shinde leads their raiding unit with 128 raid points at 63 per cent success rate, accumulating six Super 10s. Pankaj Mohite has crossed 100 raid points, providing excellent support.

Telugu Titans – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results

  • Eliminator 3 vs Patna Pirates – Won 46–39 (7-point victory)
  • Mini Qualifier vs Bengaluru Bulls – Won 37–32 (5-point victory)
  • M#103 vs Haryana Steelers – Lost 34–45 (11-point defeat)
  • M#97 vs Gujarat Giants – Won 30–25 (5-point victory)

Telugu Titans have orchestrated an extraordinary turnaround, positioned just two wins away from their first Pro Kabaddi title. Their defence improved significantly following their poor Mini Qualifier performance, delivering decisive contributions in recent matches.

Titans' defence averaged 11.0 tackle points (fifth-best). In wins (12 matches), they maintain 11.8 average tackle points at 47 per cent success rate. Ankit and Shubham Shinde approach 50 tackle points respectively, with Ankit performing considerably better post-interval (52% success versus 38% pre-interval).

Head-to-Head in PKL

Overall Record: Matches – 24 | Puneri Paltan – 14 | Telugu Titans – 9 | Tied – 1

They met twice this season, with each team securing one victory. They have met only once previously in playoffs (PKL 4's third-place playoff, where Puneri prevailed 40–35).

Last 5 Matches

Match

Season

Puneri Paltan

Telugu Titans

Result

M#95

PKL 12

31

40

Titans Won by 9 points

M#32

PKL 12

39

33

Paltan Won by 6 points

Key Player Battles – PKL 12

Telugu Titans Raiders vs Puneri Paltan Defenders

  • Bharat 2–0 Gurdeep
  • Bharat 2–2 Gaurav Khatri
  • Vijay Malik 0–2 Gaurav Khatri

Puneri Paltan Raiders vs Telugu Titans Defenders

  • Aditya Shinde 3–1 Ajit Pawar
  • Aditya Shinde 1–2 Avi Duhan
  • Pankaj Mohite 2–1 Shubham Shinde

What to Expect

This virtual semifinal presents a compelling mismatch between Puneri's elite defensive structure and Telugu's dynamic raiding duo. Bharat's explosive form and Vijay's bonus mastery directly confront Puneri's league-leading defence anchored by Gaurav Khatri's exceptional consistency.

Pune's tiebreaker loss potentially provides psychological advantage for Telugu, yet Pune's superior overall quality and defensive excellence suggest favourability. Ankit's super tackle weakness against Puneri's raiding excellence presents tactical vulnerability for Titans.

Expect a closely contested playoff encounter where Puneri's collective defensive strength potentially overwhelms Telugu's raiding-dependent strategy. However, Bharat's peak form and playoff momentum create genuine upset potential. Gauge Khatri's defensive leadership will prove crucial in determining playoff progression.

Match Details

  • Match: Puneri Paltan vs Telugu Titans – Qualifier 2, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Wednesday, 29th October 2025
  • Time: 7:30 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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