PKL 8 Teams: Full list of all teams and Pro Kabaddi captains
Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 8 will get underway in Bengaluru on the evening of December 22 with a triple-header.
Much to the delight of its countless fans, the Pro Kabaddi League is making a return after a two-year break. The previous season took place in 2019, where 12 teams participated.
The same 12 franchises will compete in PKL 8 as well. Ahead of the start of the season, here's a look at all the 8 Pro Kabaddi teams and their captains.
#1 Bengal Warriors PKL 8 Captain - Maninder Singh
Star raider Maninder Singh will continue as the captain of the defending champions Bengal Warriors in Pro Kabaddi 2021.
#2 Dabang Delhi KC PKL 8 Captain - Joginder Narwal
Dabang Delhi KC re-signed their veteran defender Joginder Narwal for ₹20 lakh at the PKL Auction 2021 and named him as their Pro Kabaddi 2021 skipper.
#3 UP Yoddha PKL 8 Captain - Nitesh Kumar
Nitesh Kumar will lead the UP Yoddha team in Pro Kabaddi Season 8. Kumar finished PKL 6 as the best defender.
#4 U Mumba PKL 8 Captain - Fazel Atrachali
Another franchise that will be led by a corner defender is U Mumba. The Mumbai-based franchise has assigned the team's reins to Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali.
#5 Haryana Steelers PKL 8 Captain - TBA
Haryana Steelers are yet to announce their Pro Kabaddi 2021 skipper. Surender Nada, Vikash Khandola and Rohit Gulia are the top three candidates for the role.
Check out the updated Pro Kabaddi points table here.
#6 Bengaluru Bulls PKL 8 Captain - Pawan Kumar Sehrawat
Bengaluru Bulls will be led by their star Indian raider Pawan Kumar Sehrawat, who was the best raider in PKL 7.
#7 Jaipur Pink Panthers - Deepak Hooda
Experienced Indian all-rounder Deepak Hooda will lead the inaugural champions Jaipur Pink Panthers in PKL 8. Jaipur signed Hooda for ₹55 lakh at the PKL Auction 2021.
#8 Patna Pirates PKL 8 Captain - Prashanth Kumar Rai
Following Pardeep Narwal's departure, Prashanth Kumar Rai will captain the Patna Pirates in PKL 8, with defender Neeraj Kumar being his deputy.
#9 Gujarat Giants PKL 8 Captain - Sunil Kumar
Right cover defender Sunil Kumar will lead two-time finalists Gujarat Giants in PKL 8. Kumar will aim to end his team's championship drought.
#10 Puneri Paltan PKL 8 Captain - Nitin Tomar
Star raider Nitin Tomar will play the role of Puneri Paltan's skipper in PKL 8. Former Telugu Titans defender Vishal Bhardwaj will be the team's vice-captain.
#11 Telugu Titans PKL 8 Captain - Rohit Kumar
Ahead of PKL 8, the Telugu Titans have announced Rohit Kumar as their captain and Siddharth Desai as their vice-captain.
#12 Tamil Thalaivas PKL 8 Captain - Surjeet Singh
Tamil Thalaivas have named Surjeet Singh as their skipper and K Prapanjan as his deputy for the eighth Pro Kabaddi League season.
It will be interesting to see which captain lifts the PKL trophy when the season ends.