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Pro Kabaddi 2022 will get underway next month, with three cities, namely Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune, playing host to the competition. It is the ninth edition of the league, and like the previous season, 12 teams will compete against each other for the coveted trophy.
The last season of PKL took place in 2021-2022. Not many kabaddi matches have been played on the domestic or at the international level since then. However, in an interesting update, 10 out of 12 franchises decided to release their captains ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction.
They did not stick with their captains from the previous season even though some of them did an excellent job. None of the 12 franchises have officially announced their skippers for Pro Kabaddi 2022, but here's a list of players who could take up the captaincy roles for each team.
#1 UP Yoddhas - Pardeep Narwal
UP Yoddhas have qualified for the playoffs in all the seasons that they have competed in. However, they are yet to win a PKL title, and lost in the semi-finals last season.
Since the Yoddhas have a former PKL-winning captain in Pardeep Narwal available, the team management might consider handing him the team's reins.
#2 U Mumba - Surinder Singh
Surinder Singh has returned to the U Mumba team for Pro Kabaddi 2022. Surinder has achieved plenty of success with the Mumbai-based franchise in the past. He is also one of the most experienced names present in the squad for season nine.
Considering that Singh led the Telugu Titans in a few matches last season, U Mumba may think of naming him as their captain. The team is looking for an improved display this season after finishing 10th in the 2021-22 campaign.
#3 Telugu Titans - Surjeet Singh
The Telugu Titans have assembled one of the best squads in PKL history for the ninth season. They have a fantastic combination of raiders, defenders, and all-rounders heading into the new campaign.
Cover defender Surjeet Singh, who has captained the Bengal Warriors and the Tamil Thalaivas in the league previously, seems to be the perfect choice for the captaincy role. Should he be given the reins, Surjeet Singh will hope to help them improve after they finished last season at the bottom of the standings.
#4 Tamil Thalaivas - Pawan Sehrawat
Pawan Sehrawat has captained the Bengaluru Bulls in the last two Pro Kabaddi League seasons. He even leads the Indian Railways team in the National Championships.
It should not come as a surprise if the Tamil Thalaivas assign leadership duties to the Hi-Flier for Pro Kabaddi 2022. They will hope Sehrawat can help them do better than their 11th-place finish last season.
#5 Puneri Paltan - Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh
Most fans feel that Fazel Atrachali may lead the Puneri Paltan at Pro Kabaddi 2022, but the Sultan has not been at his best as a defender while leading the team. Even his former teammate and rival Anup Kumar felt that teams should not put the burden of captaincy on Fazel's shoulders.
In that scenario, Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh could lead the Pune-based franchise. Nabibakhsh is a proven match-winner who can add a new dimension to his game by becoming the captain of Pune. The Paltan are looking to go one better after falling in the Eliminators last season.
#6 Patna Pirates - Rohit Gulia
Last season's runner-up, the Patna Pirates, retained a majority of their players for season nine. However, they let go of their captain Prashanth Kumar Rai and veteran raider Monu Goyat.
Patna signed former Gujarat Giants skipper Rohit Gulia at the auction. After a quiet season with the Haryana Steelers in PKL 8, Gulia will be keen to assume leadership responsibilities and take Patna to the top.
#7 Gujarat Giants - Rakesh HS
Gujarat Giants do not have too many big names in their squad for Pro Kabaddi 2022. However, the Ahmedabad-based franchise have always punched above their weight. They made it to the Eliminators last season before losing to the Bengaluru Bulls.
With Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal out of the team, raider Rakesh HS is likely to become the new face of the franchise. Rakesh was one of the few players retained by Gujarat ahead of Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#8 Jaipur Pink Panthers - Sunil Kumar
Sunil Kumar was quite successful as captain of the Gujarat Giants. However, the franchise surprisingly released him ahead of the PKL 9 Auction.
Kumar received a contract from the Jaipur Pink Panthers at the auction and it should not be a surprise if Jaipur announce him as their leader soon. The Pink Panthers need an injection of freshness after their eighth-placed finish last season.
#9 Haryana Steelers - Joginder Narwal
Joginder Narwal won PKL 8 as captain of the Dabang Delhi KC but wasn't retained by the franchise for the upcoming edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.
The Haryana Steelers picked the veteran defender at the auction. Since he has a ton of experience and good leadership skills, Narwal is the number one contender to become Haryana's captain. The Steelers finished just outside the playoff spots last season.
#10 Dabang Delhi KC - Naveen Kumar
Defending champions Dabang Delhi KC released many of their experienced defenders ahead of Pro Kabaddi 2022. While they have added a few seasoned campaigners to the team, the squad's young raider Naveen Kumar is likely to lead the side.
Kumar has played an integral role in Delhi's recent success and it will be interesting to see how he performs if he becomes the captain.
#11 Bengaluru Bulls - Vikash Khandola
The Bengaluru Bulls shelled out a massive ₹1.7 crore to sign former Haryana Steelers captain Vikash Khandola at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. Khandola looks set to replace Pawan Sehrawat as the main raider.
Since Khandola led Haryana in the last season, he may even succeed Pawan as the Bengaluru captain. The Bulls fell in the semi-finals during the 2021-22 campaign.
#12 Bengal Warriors - Maninder Singh
The only team that seem likely to retain their captain from last season are the Bengal Warriors. Raider Maninder Singh has done a phenomenal job for the team over the last few seasons.
Maninder Singh has led the Warriors from the front and even helped the team become PKL champions a few years ago. He is likely to remain the Warriors' skipper for Pro Kabaddi 2022 as they look to improve on their ninth-placed finish from last season.
