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Pro Kabaddi 2022 (PKL) will start in a few weeks. Like the last four seasons, PKL 9 will feature 12 teams. All the franchises were in action at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 auction last month in Mumbai, where they added some big names to their squads.
Defense is one of the most important parts of kabaddi. A team can still manage with a group of average raiders, but if they have a weak defense, even a team with the strongest raiding unit may falter.
Ahead of Pro Kabaddi 2022, we will rank the defensive units of the 12 teams in this article:
#12 U Mumba
U Mumba let go of their captain Fazel Atrachali ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. They did retain corner defender Rinku, but the rest of the defense does not look too strong.
The likes of Harendra Kumar and Surinder Singh have done well in a few games, but they have not been very consistent. It will be interesting to see how U Mumba's young defenders perform this season.
#11 Jaipur Pink Panthers
Inaugural champions Jaipur Pink Panthers have an inexperienced defense as well. Apart from Sunil Kumar and Sahul Kumar, none of the Jaipur defenders have much PKL experience.
Deepak Rathee had a decent outing last season, but fans will be hoping for a better performance from him in PKL 9.
#10 Bengal Warriors
The Bengal Warriors have two very experienced defenders in Surender Nada and Girish Ernak. However, both have struggled for form and fitness in recent seasons.
All-rounder Deepak Hooda will likely play in the left cover position, while either Vinod Kumar or Shubham Shinde will play as the right cover. Overall, Bengal have a good defense, but their recent form has not been the best.
#9 Tamil Thalaivas
Tamil Thalaivas have one of the youngest defensive units in PKL 9. Sagar, who won the Best Defender award last season, will be the main player in that area.
The likes of Mohit, Sahil Gulia and M. Abishek got a good amount of experience last season. They will have to bring their 'A' game to the table and support ace raider Pawan Sehrawat to perfection.
#8 Haryana Steelers
The cover duo of Jaideep and Mohit will be the backbone of the Haryana Steelers' defense in Pro Kabaddi 2022. They have a great combination and achieved a lot of success last season.
Joginder Narwal brings a lot of experience to the team, but his fitness will be an area of concern. While the other defenders have not played much in the PKL, all eyes will be on debutant Amir Hossein Bastami, who was one of the costliest picks at this year's auction.
#7 Dabang Delhi KC
Defending champions Dabang Delhi KC had a solid defense in Season 8, but they released a majority of their defenders before the PKL 9 Auction. This year, Krishan, Vinay Kumar, Dipak, Sandeep Dhull, Deepak Hooda, and Ravi Kumar will shoulder Delhi's defense.
These players have a good record in the PKL, but it remains to be seen if they can perform consistently as a unit this season.
#6 Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants' defense looks much stronger than their raiding unit. They have signed three match-winners in Sandeep Kandola, Baldev Singh and Rinku Narwal.
However, the Giants will miss the services of Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar as cover defenders. Young Chang Ko, Sourav Gulia, Kapil Narwal, Vinod Malik, Arkam Shaikh, and Ujjwal Singh are the cover options available for Gujarat this year.
Narwal, Shaikh and Singh have never played in the PKL, while the other three have shown promise in previous seasons.
#5 Bengaluru Bulls
Bengaluru Bulls have retained a majority of their defenders from Season 8. The combination of Saurabh Nandal, Mayur Kadam, Aman and Mahender Singh will likely form Bengaluru's defensive unit.
These four played many matches together last season. Their combination and past success makes Bengaluru one of the top defensive units in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#4 UP Yoddha
UP Yoddha, too, showed faith in their defensive unit from last season and retained most of them. Sumit and Nitesh Kumar will continue as the corner defenders, while Ashu Singh and Shubham Kumar will play as the cover defenders.
The Yoddhas have some good backup options like Jaideep and Abozar Mighani in case one of their main defenders gets injured.
#3 Puneri Paltan
Puneri Paltan have released Vishal Bhardwaj and Baldev Singh from the squad but signed Iranian stars Mohammad Nabibakhsh and Fazel Atrachali. They will join the likes of Sombir, Abinesh Nadarajan, Balasaheb Jadhav, and Sanket Sawant in the defense.
Pune's defense looks strong on paper. If Fazel returns to his old form, it will be very challenging for the opposition teams to score raid points against Pune.
#2 Telugu Titans
The Telugu Titans team management hit a home run at this year's auction. They not only have the strongest raiding unit of Pro Kabaddi 2022, but they also have one of the best defenses this season.
Vishal Bhardwaj and Ravinder Pahal are likely to play as the corner defenders, while Surjeet Singh and Parvesh Bhainswal will be the two cover defenders. The only reason the Titans are not number one on this list is because this quartet has not played much together in the past.
#1 Strongest defense in Pro Kabaddi 2022 - Patna Pirates
Last season's runners-up Patna Pirates have retained the same defensive lineup for Season 9. Mohammadreza Chiyaneh, Sunil, Neeraj Kumar, and Sajin C will form Patna's defense for Pro Kabaddi 2022.
This quartet achieved enormous success last season. The addition of all-rounder Rohit Gulia will add more depth to the Patna defense in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
