Pro Kabaddi 2022: Predicting all 12 captains of PKL 9 teams

Pro Kabaddi 2022 will get underway next month, with three cities, namely Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune, playing host to the competition. It is the ninth edition of the league, and like the previous season, 12 teams will compete against each other for the coveted trophy.

The last season of PKL took place in 2021-2022. Not many kabaddi matches have been played on the domestic or at the international level since then. However, in an interesting update, 10 out of 12 franchises decided to release their captains ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction.

They did not stick with their captains from the previous season even though some of them did an excellent job. None of the 12 franchises have officially announced their skippers for Pro Kabaddi 2022, but here's a list of players who could take up the captaincy roles for each team.

#1 UP Yoddhas - Pardeep Narwal

Some new Yoddhas ➕ Proven Yoddhas 🟰 A perfect squad for the ultimate Yuddh is now ready 💪

Name that 1️⃣ player you are most happy to 👀 in your team 🤩

#vivoPKLPlayerAuction @UpYoddhas https://t.co/6a4it1O6h7

UP Yoddhas have qualified for the playoffs in all the seasons that they have competed in. However, they are yet to win a PKL title, and lost in the semi-finals last season.

Since the Yoddhas have a former PKL-winning captain in Pardeep Narwal available, the team management might consider handing him the team's reins.

#2 U Mumba - Surinder Singh

Seeking their glory days, here's what @umumba have assembled after the #vivoPKLPlayerAuction 🧡

Will the 3️⃣-time finalists make it 🤜🏼 𝐛𝐢𝐠 this season? https://t.co/XlHS6tzCsM

Surinder Singh has returned to the U Mumba team for Pro Kabaddi 2022. Surinder has achieved plenty of success with the Mumbai-based franchise in the past. He is also one of the most experienced names present in the squad for season nine.

Considering that Singh led the Telugu Titans in a few matches last season, U Mumba may think of naming him as their captain. The team is looking for an improved display this season after finishing 10th in the 2021-22 campaign.

#3 Telugu Titans - Surjeet Singh

Raiders ✅
Defenders ✅
All-rounders ✅

@Telugu_Titans did well to keep a check on their shopping wish list in the #vivoPKLPlayerAuction 🤩

Can they start afresh in Season 9️⃣? https://t.co/4y6xdkCEVC

The Telugu Titans have assembled one of the best squads in PKL history for the ninth season. They have a fantastic combination of raiders, defenders, and all-rounders heading into the new campaign.

Cover defender Surjeet Singh, who has captained the Bengal Warriors and the Tamil Thalaivas in the league previously, seems to be the perfect choice for the captaincy role. Should he be given the reins, Surjeet Singh will hope to help them improve after they finished last season at the bottom of the standings.

#4 Tamil Thalaivas - Pawan Sehrawat

A historic bid for the historical player himself, Pawan Sehrawat 🙌🔥

Can the 𝘏𝘪-𝘍𝘭𝘺𝘦𝘳 take @tamilthalaivas to new heights in Season 9️⃣?

#vivoPKLPlayerAuction https://t.co/3pjFGVflCL

Pawan Sehrawat has captained the Bengaluru Bulls in the last two Pro Kabaddi League seasons. He even leads the Indian Railways team in the National Championships.

It should not come as a surprise if the Tamil Thalaivas assign leadership duties to the Hi-Flier for Pro Kabaddi 2022. They will hope Sehrawat can help them do better than their 11th-place finish last season.

#5 Puneri Paltan - Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh

Starring Fazel Atrachali in their full-strength squad, @PuneriPaltan have announced their intentions to clinch their maiden 🏆 this #vivoPKLPlayerAuction.

𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘥 📋 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳? https://t.co/pT6ihTdozj

Most fans feel that Fazel Atrachali may lead the Puneri Paltan at Pro Kabaddi 2022, but the Sultan has not been at his best as a defender while leading the team. Even his former teammate and rival Anup Kumar felt that teams should not put the burden of captaincy on Fazel's shoulders.

In that scenario, Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh could lead the Pune-based franchise. Nabibakhsh is a proven match-winner who can add a new dimension to his game by becoming the captain of Pune. The Paltan are looking to go one better after falling in the Eliminators last season.

#6 Patna Pirates - Rohit Gulia

The Pirates 🏴‍☠️ are ready to 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫 and here's their entire strength ⚔

Will this squad help them get another ⭐ on their logo? 🧐

#vivoPKLPlayerAuction @PatnaPirates https://t.co/wUN7R1WvXW

Last season's runner-up, the Patna Pirates, retained a majority of their players for season nine. However, they let go of their captain Prashanth Kumar Rai and veteran raider Monu Goyat.

Patna signed former Gujarat Giants skipper Rohit Gulia at the auction. After a quiet season with the Haryana Steelers in PKL 8, Gulia will be keen to assume leadership responsibilities and take Patna to the top.

#7 Gujarat Giants - Rakesh HS

📂 #vivoPKLPlayerAuction
L 📂 @GujaratGiants
L 📂 The class of 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣

Taking giant strides towards their maiden PKL 🏆. Will they finish on 🔝? 👀

#vivoPKLPlayerAuction https://t.co/q9zmBkJmvs

Gujarat Giants do not have too many big names in their squad for Pro Kabaddi 2022. However, the Ahmedabad-based franchise have always punched above their weight. They made it to the Eliminators last season before losing to the Bengaluru Bulls.

With Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal out of the team, raider Rakesh HS is likely to become the new face of the franchise. Rakesh was one of the few players retained by Gujarat ahead of Pro Kabaddi 2022.

#8 Jaipur Pink Panthers - Sunil Kumar

The Panthers are ready to paint the mat pink 💗

Will we get to hear the 𝘑𝘢𝘪 𝘑𝘢𝘪 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘢 🎶 of Jaipur in Season 9? 👇

#vivoPKLPlayerAuction @JaipurPanthers https://t.co/8DZNIhATdk

Sunil Kumar was quite successful as captain of the Gujarat Giants. However, the franchise surprisingly released him ahead of the PKL 9 Auction.

Kumar received a contract from the Jaipur Pink Panthers at the auction and it should not be a surprise if Jaipur announce him as their leader soon. The Pink Panthers need an injection of freshness after their eighth-placed finish last season.

#9 Haryana Steelers - Joginder Narwal

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝟏: Auction ✅
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝟐: Season 9 ❓❓

The Steelers did make some steals at the #vivoPKLPlayerAuction but can they make the ultimate steal with this squad? 💭

@HaryanaSteelers https://t.co/lwkIWwf7FG

Joginder Narwal won PKL 8 as captain of the Dabang Delhi KC but wasn't retained by the franchise for the upcoming edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.

The Haryana Steelers picked the veteran defender at the auction. Since he has a ton of experience and good leadership skills, Narwal is the number one contender to become Haryana's captain. The Steelers finished just outside the playoff spots last season.

#10 Dabang Delhi KC - Naveen Kumar

Ye @DabangDelhiKC hai mere yaar, inse bachke rehna iss baar 😉

The 𝐃𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠 class of 2022 is ready to protect their throne 🏆

Dilli fauj, which player are you looking forward to? 🤔

#vivoPKLPlayerAuction https://t.co/oDasFJcIzB

Defending champions Dabang Delhi KC released many of their experienced defenders ahead of Pro Kabaddi 2022. While they have added a few seasoned campaigners to the team, the squad's young raider Naveen Kumar is likely to lead the side.

Kumar has played an integral role in Delhi's recent success and it will be interesting to see how he performs if he becomes the captain.

#11 Bengaluru Bulls - Vikash Khandola

Fierce. Fiesty. Fearless 🔥

The Bulls are ready to charge, led by their new poster boy- Vikash Kandola 😎

Presenting the red-hot squad of the @BengaluruBulls for Season 9️⃣

#vivoPKLPlayerAuction https://t.co/Dfn1HBsdtv

The Bengaluru Bulls shelled out a massive ₹1.7 crore to sign former Haryana Steelers captain Vikash Khandola at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. Khandola looks set to replace Pawan Sehrawat as the main raider.

Since Khandola led Haryana in the last season, he may even succeed Pawan as the Bengaluru captain. The Bulls fell in the semi-finals during the 2021-22 campaign.

#12 Bengal Warriors - Maninder Singh

Versatile raiders ✅
Fantastic all-rounders ✅
Robust defenders ✅

The #AamarWarriors have assembled to take the mat by storm 🌪️

@BengalWarriors fans, what do you make of this squad? 👀

#vivoPKLPlayerAuction https://t.co/13iih9kcS1

The only team that seem likely to retain their captain from last season are the Bengal Warriors. Raider Maninder Singh has done a phenomenal job for the team over the last few seasons.

Maninder Singh has led the Warriors from the front and even helped the team become PKL champions a few years ago. He is likely to remain the Warriors' skipper for Pro Kabaddi 2022 as they look to improve on their ninth-placed finish from last season.