Pro Kabaddi 2022: 5 debutants who impressed the most in Week 1 of the tournament
Pro Kabaddi 2022 (PKL 2022) got underway last Friday in Bengaluru. 15 matches took place in the opening week of the competition. Defending champions Dabang Delhi KC continued their domination in the league as they own the number one position in the points table after the first week.
Four teams, namely Gujarat Giants, Puneri Paltan, Patna Pirates and Tamil Thalaivas, are still winless in Pro Kabaddi 2022. Fans should note that these are still early days in the tournament, and there will be a lot of changes in the points table during the next few weeks.
Speaking of PKL 2022, quite a few players made their debuts in the first week of the competition. Here's a list of top five debutants who impressed fans the most with their performances on the mat.
#1 Vinay Redhu, Telugu Titans
Not many fans would have expected debutant Vinay Redhu to steal the show in the Telugu Titans raid attack when the team had some big names like Abhishek Singh, Siddharth Desai and Monu Goyat available in the squad.
But Vinay has grabbed the opportunity with both hands to cement his place in the playing seven. In three matches so far, Vinay has scored 14 raid points. He has contributed his bit in the defense as well, registering three tackle points.
#2 Ankush Rathee, Jaipur Pink Panthers
Inaugural champions Jaipur Pink Panthers tried a new left corner defender, Ankush Rathee, in Pro Kabaddi 2022. The debutant has outshone the rest of the Jaipur defense so far in the tournament.
In his career's first two Pro Kabaddi League matches, Ankush has scored seven tackle points. He missed out on a High 5 against the Patna Pirates, but his four tackle points in that contest helped the Pink Panthers record their first win of the season.
#3 Abhishek Gowda, Jaipur Pink Panthers
Another Jaipur Pink Panthers defender to feature on the list is the team's left cover Abhishek Gowda. Abhishek was the best defender for the Pink Panthers in his debut PKL game against the UP Yoddhas.
He scored four tackle points for the team, ensuring that they gave the Yoddhas a run for their money. Unfortunately, Abhishek failed to open his account against the Patna Pirates, but his performance against the Yoddhas was quite impressive.
#4 Narender Kandola, Tamil Thalaivas
All eyes were on Pawan Sehrawat and Ajinkya Pawar in Tamil Thalaivas' raiding unit for Pro Kabaddi 2022, but debutant Narender Kandola has emerged as the surprise package. After Sehrawat got injured, Narender has shouldered the team's raiding responsibilities.
He has scored 13 raid points in two matches so far. Notably, Narender scored a Super 10 on his PKL debut against the Gujarat Giants.
#5 Kiran Magar, U Mumba
U Mumba have shown a lot of faith in their youngsters in Pro Kabaddi 2022. One of them is left corner defender Kiran Magar, who made his debut as a substitute against Dabang Delhi KC. Even after coming in the 20th minute, he finished the match with three tackle points.
Later, Kiran scored three points against the UP Yoddhas and played a pivotal role in U Mumba's first win of Pro Kabaddi 2022. It should not be a surprise if he features in the playing seven regularly.