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Pro Kabaddi 2022 will start on October 7 with three matches on the opening night at the Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. This is the ninth edition of the world's grandest kabaddi league.
Over the last eight seasons, many fans would have noticed that the teams that have won the championship had a rock-solid defense. Teams with a stellar raiding unit have made it to the playoffs, but a majority of the squads that won the Pro Kabaddi championship had an excellent defense that made the difference.
The raiders' job is to give their team a lead in the match, while it is the defenders' duty to ensure that that lead is not squandered. Speaking of the defensive unit's importance, all 12 PKL franchises have some big names in their defense for Pro Kabaddi 2022. Here's a list of top five defensive combinations to watch out for in PKL 2022.
#1 Mohammadreza Chiyaneh and Sunil Narwal, Patna Pirates
Patna Pirates finished runners-up in the previous edition of the Pro Kabaddi League. One of the main reasons for their success was the splendid showing of their corner defense pair - Mohammadreza Chiyaneh and Sunil Narwal.
The Pirates retained Chiyaneh ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction and re-signed Narwal at the auction. The two defenders scored a combined 138 tackle points last season. It will be interesting to see if they can continue in the same vein this season.
#2 Sombir Gulia and Fazel Atrachali, Puneri Paltan
Puneri Paltan retained their right corner defender Sombir Gulia for the new season. Sombir was one of the best defenders in PKL 8, scoring 60 tackle points in 19 matches.
He will have a new corner partner this season in Fazel Atrachali. Fazel is the most successful overseas defender in PKL history. Pune signed him for a massive ₹1.3 crore at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 auction.
#3 Mohit and Jaideep Dahiya, Haryana Steelers
Haryana Steelers' young cover duo of Jaideep Dahiya and Mohit impressed fans with their combination tackles in season eight. Jaideep was the fourth most successful defender of the tournament, with 66 tackle points to his name.
The Steelers retained their two young cover defenders ahead of the auction. All eyes will be on Jaideep and Mohit when Haryana play their Pro Kabaddi 2022 matches.
#4 Saurabh Nandal and Aman Antil, Bengaluru Bulls
Saurabh Nandal and Aman Antil retained their places in the Bengaluru Bulls squad for Pro Kabaddi 2022. The two corner defenders had a great season with the Bulls in 2021-22, scoring more than 50 tackle points.
With Pawan Sehrawat leaving the Bulls this year, Bengaluru fans will hope that Nandal and Antil perform even better and help the team win more matches.
#5 Rinku Narwal and Baldev Singh, Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants have assembled the iconic corner pair which helped the Bengal Warriors win the seventh edition of the Pro Kabaddi League. Rinku Narwal and Baldev Singh will reunite at the Ahmedabad-based franchise in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
They helped Bengal to their first title in 2019. It will be exciting to see if they can end Gujarat's championship drought as well.
