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Pro Kabaddi 2022 begins on Friday, October 7. The reverse countdown to the world's biggest kabaddi tournament has begun. Like the last four seasons, this year's PKL will feature 12 teams as well.
Dabang Delhi KC are the defending champions of PKL 9. Although Delhi won the title just a few months ago, fans should note that all 12 franchises have made some big changes to their respective squads since then.
The mega PKL Auction took place in Mumbai last month, where all 12 teams signed players from different parts of the world.
All the teams had permission to retain a few players from their PKL 8 squad and the franchises tried to retain their best raiders.
Raiders have the ability to turn the matches upside down in a matter of a few minutes. One or two super raids can change the course of a match, which is why teams always try to sign top-quality raiders.
Some of the world's best raiders will be in action in Pro Kabaddi 2022. Here's a list of the top five names fans should keep an eye on this season.
#1 Pardeep Narwal, UP Yoddhas
UP Yoddhas used the Final Bid Match (FBM) card to re-sign Pardeep Narwal at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. Narwal was not at his best last season, but he still ended the season with 188 raid points from 24 matches.
Fans have high hopes from the Record Breaker this season. He would have used the break between the two PKL seasons to work on his agility and swiftness. It will be exciting to see how Pardeep performs in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#2 Pawan Sehrawat, Tamil Thalaivas
Tamil Thalaivas splurged an enormous ₹2.26 crore to sign Pawan Sehrawat at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. Sehrawat donned the Bengaluru Bulls jersey from season six to eight and topped the leaderboard in all three seasons.
It will be a new challenge for Pawan this season because the Thalaivas do not have another big name in the raiding unit.
#3 Vikash Khandola, Bengaluru Bulls
Vikash Khandola was the second most expensive pick at this year's PKL Auction. Former champions Bengaluru Bulls signed him for ₹1.7 crore at the auction.
Khandola will replace Pawan Sehrawat as the lead raider of the Bengaluru-based franchise. It will be interesting to see how he performs in his first season after leaving the Haryana Steelers.
#4 Guman Singh, U Mumba
U Mumba stunned the kabaddi universe when they roped in former Patna Pirates raider Guman Singh for ₹1.22 crore at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. Singh has played only 22 matches in his PKL career, scoring 102 points.
He will lead the U Mumba raid attack this season. The youngster will be keen to justify his big price tag.
#5 Rahul Chaudhari, Jaipur Pink Panthers
After a forgettable season with Puneri Paltan in 2021/22, Rahul Chaudhari will look forward to reviving his Pro Kabaddi career at the Jaipur Pink Panthers. He was signed at his base price of ₹10 lakh at the PKL Auction.
Chaudhari will have the backing of youngsters Arjun Deshwal and V. Ajith Kumar in Jaipur. The Showman will have the onus of bringing his experience to the fore and taking the Pink Panthers to their second title.
