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The countdown to Pro Kabaddi 2022 has started. For the first time since 2019, fans will be able to watch PKL matches live at the arenas. Three cities, namely Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, will host the 2022 edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Last month, a mega PKL auction took place in Mumbai, where the 12 franchises signed some big names. Raiders play an important role for any kabaddi team, and for this reason, quite a few franchises spent crores of rupees to buy raiders at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction.
In this listicle, we will rank the raiding departments of the 12 teams ahead of PKL 9.
#12 U Mumba
Former champions U Mumba seem to have one of the weakest raiding units of the season. They spent over ₹1 crore to sign Guman Singh at the auction. Guman was a secondary raider for the Patna Pirates last season.
The other names in the raiding unit are a bit inexperienced. Guman is the only U Mumba raider with 100 raid points, which highlights the others' inexperience.
#11 Gujarat Giants
Despite having the highest purse value remaining before the auction, Gujarat Giants failed to sign any 'A' category raiders. They have some good options in the team like Chandran Ranjit, Rakesh HS, Pardeep Kumar, and Mahendra Rajput.
However, the Giants will miss someone like Sachin Tanwar and Pardeep Narwal, two players for whom they bid the highest amount but lost due to the Final Bid Match card.
#10 Haryana Steelers
The Haryana Steelers released their star raider Vikash Khandola ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. They signed the likes of K Prapanjan and Manjeet to support Vinay and Meetu in the raiding unit.
All four have the capability to win matches on their day, but no one has performed as consistently as Vikash. It will be interesting to see how Haryana perform in Vikash's absence.
#9 Patna Pirates
The Patna Pirates released Prashanth Kumar Rai, Monu Goyat and Guman Singh from their season eight squad. They re-signed Sachin via FBM, but the raiding unit looks comparatively weaker.
Both Rohit Gulia and Sonu will have to step up and deliver the goods to ensure the Pirates win their fourth title this year.
#8 Tamil Thalaivas
Tamil Thalaivas are ranked above the previous four teams only because of Pawan Sehrawat. The Chennai-based franchise shelled out ₹2.26 crore to sign him at the auction.
However, they do not have much depth in their raiding unit. If Pawan has an off day in the office, the pressure will be on Ajinkya Pawar and Himanshu's shoulders.
#7 Bengaluru Bulls
Bengaluru Bulls have a similar type of raiding unit as the Tamil Thalaivas. They will rely heavily on Vikash Khandola this year, but the Bulls have better supporting raiders like Bharat Hooda and Neeraj Narwal.
The trio of Bharat, Neeraj, and Vikash could wreak havoc in Pro Kabaddi 2022 if they play to their full potential.
#6 Puneri Paltan
Puneri Paltan have three top-quality young raiders in Pankaj Mohite, Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat. All three can turn the match upside down in a matter of a few raids.
The team also signed star Iranian all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh at the auction. Pune have one of the best raiding units in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#5 Jaipur Pink Panthers
Jaipur Pink Panthers have two in-form raiders, namely Arjun Deshwal and V Ajith Kumar. Both players had great outings in the previous season and are likely to shoulder Jaipur's raiding responsibilities this season.
If Rahul Chaudhari returns to his old form, it will be very challenging for the opposition teams to keep Jaipur down in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#4 Dabang Delhi KC
Dabang Delhi KC have the tried and tested pair of Vijay and Naveen Kumar in the raiding unit. Players like Ashu Malik and Suraj Panwar can back them up whenever needed.
The duo of Naveen and Vijay helped Delhi win PKL 8. It will be exciting to see how they perform in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#3 Bengal Warriors
The Bengal Warriors have three players who can lead the team's raid attack. The former PKL champions retained their captain Maninder Singh and added Deepak Niwas Hooda and Shrikant Jadhav to support him.
Hooda has been one of the most successful players in the PKL, while Jadhav has scored raid points with consistency for the UP Yoddhas in the last few seasons.
#2 UP Yoddhas
Like the Bengal Warriors, UP Yoddhas have three options to lead their attack - Pardeep Narwal, Surender Gill and Nitin Tomar. After a dip in form last season, Pardeep will be keen to silence his critics in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
Even Tomar will look forward to remaining fit throughout the season and playing the senior raider's role. Gill was in top form last season. He will aim to continue in the same vein in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#1 Strongest raiding unit of Pro Kabaddi 2022 - Telugu Titans
The Telugu Titans have the strongest raid attack in Pro Kabaddi 2022. They have three proven match-winners in Siddharth Desai, Monu Goyat and Abhishek Singh. All three can lead the attack for their team with aplomb.
Ankit Beniwal and Rajnish were the two most impressive players for the Titans last season. They will support the three experienced raiders. Iranian all-rounder Mohsen Maghsoudlou will provide more depth in the raid attack. Overall, the Titans have a complete raiding unit.
