Pro Kabaddi 2022: Ranking all 12 teams by foreigners in their squad
Pro Kabaddi 2022 (PKL 2022) got underway last Friday at the Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. 12 teams are part of the ongoing PKL season, and one of them will emerge as the champions on December 17.
One of the main goals of the Pro Kabaddi League has been to take the sport to the next level not just in India but across different countries. Teams like Iran and Korea have shown significant improvement at the international level after their players got PKL experience.
Speaking of foreign players, each team picked two overseas stars in their squad for Pro Kabaddi 2022. In this listicle, we will rank the 12 teams based on their overseas players.
#12 Tamil Thalaivas
Surprisingly, the Tamil Thalaivas did not sign any players from Korea or Iran at the auction. They signed left corner defender Md. Arif Rabanni from Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka's all-rounder Tanushan Laxmamohan is the second overseas player in the squad. Both players do not have much PKL experience and are unlikely to play any games for the Thalaivas this season.
#11 Dabang Delhi KC
Defending champions Dabang Delhi KC also showed faith in some new overseas talents for PKL 2022. They signed right corner defender Md. Liton Ali from Bangladesh for ₹10 lakh.
Iranian all-rounder Reza Katoulinezhad is the second foreigner in the squad. Like the Tamil Thalaivas, Delhi have an inexperienced overseas duo as well.
#10 Bengaluru Bulls
Unlike other franchises, Bengaluru Bulls showed interest in Nepalese players at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. Coach Randhir Sehrawat signed Nepalese raiders Lal Manohar Yadav and Nageshor Tharu.
Since Randhir has unearthed many talents in the past, it remains to be seen how the two Nepalese players will perform in PKL 2022.
#9 U Mumba
U Mumba roped in Iran's Heidarali Ekrami and Gholamabbas Korouki at the PKL 2022 Auction. Ekrami is an exciting young raider, who received bids from multiple teams at the auction.
It will be interesting to see how the U Mumba franchise uses its two new foreign players this season.
#8 Telugu Titans
Telugu Titans bought experienced Iranian all-rounder Mohsen Maghoudlou and his compatriot Hamid Nader at the auction. While Nader has not played in the PKL much, Maghsoudlou has earned 135 points in 59 matches.
Since the Titans have an experienced bunch of Indian players in the squad, the two Iranians are unlikely to get many opportunities.
#7 Jaipur Pink Panthers
Inaugural champions Jaipur Pink Panthers splurged ₹26 lakh to sign Iranian defender Reza Mirbhageri at the auction. Iranian defenders have done well in the PKL, and Reza could be a new addition to that list.
Korean all-rounder Woosan Ko is the second foreign player of Jaipur. He was sold at his base price of ₹10 lakh.
#6 Bengal Warriors
Soleiman Pahlevani is the top overseas player of the Bengal Warriors. He has previously represented the Gujarat Giants franchise in the league.
Pahlevani has a lot of potential, but he has not received enough chances in the league. Bengal will be keen to use him and Sri Lanka's raider Aslam Thambi to their full potential in PKL 2022.
#5 Haryana Steelers
Amir Hossain Bastami is one of the most promising talents from Iran. The youngster has not played in the PKL yet, but has been quite impressive with his all-round brilliance at the junior level.
The Haryana Steelers signed him for a whopping ₹65.1 lakh at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. Veteran Iranian raider Mohammad Esmaeil is also part of the Haryana squad.
#4 Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants signed a couple of big names from the Korean team for Pro Kabaddi 2022. Raider Dong Geon Lee and all-rounder Young Chang Ko received contracts from the Ahmedabad-based franchise this year.
Lee played for the Bengaluru Bulls last season and scored some important points for the team. He has also represented the Gujarat Giants in the past and even registered a Super 10 in the Gujarat jersey.
#3 UP Yoddhas
UP Yoddhas signed Kenyan all-rounder James Kamweti and Iranian right corner defender Abozar Mighani at the auction. Mighani has been one of the most successful defenders in the last four seasons of the league.
Meanwhile, Kamweti is the vice-captain of the Kenyan team. The all-rounder will look forward to impressing fans with his athleticism in PKL 2022.
#2 Patna Pirates
Three-time champions Patna Pirates retained their Iranian left corner defender Mohammadreza Chiyaneh for Season 9. Chiyaneh won the Best Defender award in the eighth edition of Pro Kabaddi.
The second overseas player in the Patna squad is Kenyan all-rounder Daniel Odhiambo. He can be a decent substitute option for the team.
#1 Puneri Paltan have the best overseas players in Pro Kabaddi 2022
Puneri Paltan signed the league's top overseas defender Fazel Atrachali and the top foreign all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh at the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. The Pune-based franchise splurged more than ₹2 crore for the two players.
They were unavailable for the initial few matches but are expected to join the team soon. Once Fazel and Nabibakhsh join the squad, it will be hard to defeat Puneri Paltan in Pro Kabaddi 2022.