Pro Kabaddi 2022: 5 players who made their former teams regret the decision of releasing them in Week 1
Pro Kabaddi 2022 started on Friday, October 7, in Bengaluru with the battle between season two winners U Mumba and defending champions Dabang Delhi KC. The kabaddi universe has since witnessed a total of 15 matches in the first six days of the new season.
Several new players have already made their mark in the competition, while a few seasoned pros have gotten off to a forgettable start.
Meanwhile, there were also some top performances from players who were released by their former teams ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction and then earned a contract from a new side.
In this listicle now, we will look at five such players who made their former teams regret the decision to release them before Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#1 Girish Ernak
Veteran defender Girish Ernak played for the Gujarat Giants last season. He earned 46 points in 19 matches for the Ahmedabad-based franchise. Still, the Gujarat Giants did not retain him for Pro Kabaddi 2022.
While the Giants are now struggling with their corner defense, Ernak has emerged as a match-winner for his new team Bengal Warriors. He is currently the number one defender in PKL 2022, with 14 tackle points to his name after three matches.
If Girish Ernak continues his excellent form in Pro Kabaddi 2022, the Bengal Warriors could win their second championship.
#2 Monu Goyat
Nicknamed 'Silent Killer', Monu Goyat played a pivotal role in Patna Pirates' journey to the final last season. However, the Pirates did not offer him another contract and let him go to the auction pool.
Telugu Titans roped him in for PKL 2022, and Goyat has been the team's best raider so far. He has scored 16 raid points in three matches. Notably, Goyat scored 10 points against the Patna Pirates and helped his new team beat his former team.
#3 Shrikant Jadhav
Shrikant Jadhav was an important part of the UP Yoddhas' raid unit last season. He formed a brilliant combination with Pardeep Narwal and Surender Gill. While the Yoddhas have Narwal and Gill in their squad for season nine, Jadhav has moved to Bengal Warriors.
Jadhav has done well in PKL 9 so far, scoring 16 raid points in three matches. His former team might miss him as Gill and Narwal needed some support which was lacking in Yoddhas' recent defeats against Dabang Delhi KC and U Mumba.
#4 Vishal Lather
Dabang Delhi KC star Vishal Lather has been the number one cover defender of Pro Kabaddi 2022 so far. In just three games, he has scored 11 tackle points for his new team.
Jaipur Pink Panthers' new defense is yet to settle down as a unit in PKL 2022. An experienced campaigner like Vishal Lather could have helped the team a lot.
#5 Manjeet Dahiya
Tamil Thalaivas broke the bank to sign Pawan Sehrawat at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. Unfortunately, Pawan was injured in the first match of the tournament, and now the Thalaivas do not have a raider who can lead the attack.
A player like Manjeet Dahiya could have been handy for the Thalaivas in this situation. He played for the Chennai-based franchise last season, but is now a member of the Haryana Steelers. In just two matches, Manjeet has scored 24 raid points in PKL 9.