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#5 How successful will the homegrown combination of coach Manpreet Singh and captain Joginder Narwal be for Haryana Steelers?
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Two big Pro Kabaddi names will come together in a debut venture, with former title winner Manpreet Singh combining with PKL 8 champion Joginder Narwal as the powerhouse duo for the Steelers.
Both men house acres of kabaddi experience, and with the Steelers unit comprising of quite some young blood, a lot of the onus will be on Manpreet and Joginder to chalk out their season's blueprint.
With Vikash Kandola finding a new team at the auction, Narwal will have the responsibility of figuring out his raiding combination with some exciting names in the mix such as Manjeet Dahiya, Meetu, Rakesh Narwal among others.
#6 Will 'Poster Boy' Rahul Chaudhari put on a show for the ages and take the Jaipur Pink Panthers to victory?
Once an unstoppable raider on the mat, Rahul Chaudhari, a man with innumerable monikers, will be at the center of attraction in Pro Kabaddi 2022 - with fans and pundits eager to see if the 'Showman' finds a way to add life to his faltering PKL career.
Since PKL 6, Chaudhari's form has only dipped - quite considerably too - with his average raid points per match registered as 7.57 (Season 6), 5.91 (PKL 7) and a jaw-dropping 1.86 (PKL 8).
Apart from the dwindling numbers, Chaudhari has also been hit by other issues. The lack of role clarity in the Thalaivas (S7), frequent bench-warming at Puneri Paltan (S8) have all proven to dent a rather spotless career before PKL 6.
With PKL 9, though, it is a chance for Chaudhari to open a new chapter in his career, one in which he could once again be the heartthrob among fans. While he might not be the star attraction at the Pink Panthers, recent form at the National Games and a series of videos of his training before the Pro Kabaddi 2022 season has put him back in focus.
At the end of it all, who would not want to see the Rahul Chaudhari of the old, with his super quick hand touches, the clever toe touches & more?
#7 Can coach Ravi Shetty usher in a new dawn at the Patna Pirates?
Two talking points often associated with the Patna Pirates are one, Pardeep Narwal and two, coach Ram Mehar - the latter who guided the team to the PKL 7 title and a final appearance in PKL 8.
Pardeep, on the other hand, will turn out for the UP Yoddhas in his second season with the franchise. Despite both Pardeep and Ram Mehar far from operations at the Pirates, the duo's successful combination has always been a topic that surfaces during PKL.
The Pirates, though, have a new man at the helm of affairs in coach Ravi Shetty, who was the coach of U Mumba when they won the title in 2015. With over two decades of coaching experience at the national and state levels, Shetty commands a very high degree of respect, but to progressively carry that mantle of Patna's success will be a challenge on its own.
One big positive for Shetty is that about 60-65% of the team is similar to the composition from last season, but how he imbibes his kabaddi philosophy in the team throughout the season is an exciting prospect. If that can quell talks of Pardeep and Ram Mehar's past association with Patna, that could well fetch a tag of "job well done".
#8 Can the Puneri Paltan young brigade hold the fort until the Iranians arrive?
Less than a couple of hours into the Pro Kabaddi 2022 auction, the Puneri Paltan stole all the headlines as they signed arguably two of the best foreigners in PKL history as part of their PKL 9 squad.
While seasoned left corner Fazel Atrachali broke his own record and was roped in for ₹1.38 lakhs, Pune also went all-out to secure the services of Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh for ₹87 lakhs. Such was the nature of their aggressive bidding that they only had funds left for the second day's auction where the category C and D players were up for grabs.
With both Fazel and Nabi in the ranks, Pune were among the top favourites to win Pro Kabaddi 2022. However, with visa issues having forced the Iranians to fly home, Pune will be left dependent on all their youngsters to put on a show.
This is the same situation where Pune had their backs to the wall in PKL 8 with all their senior players faltering, and faced with a similar task, the likes of Aslam Inamdar, Mohit Goyat among others might stand tall.
However, a good start is a job half done, and without a senior figure to guide the team on the mat, it remains to be seen if the youngsters can indeed weather the storm early on.
