Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction: 3 teams looking for captains
The Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction will be held on September 8 and 9. All 12 teams have announced their respective lists of players retained and released ahead of the new season.
Quite a few franchises have decided to retain their captains from the previous season. On the other hand, a few teams have decided to let go of their captains due to various reasons.
There is a possibility that the coaching staff of those teams may now appoint a new captain from the list of players they have retained for the upcoming season. Or else, they also have the option of targetting a new captain at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction. Here's a list of three teams that will look for a new leader.
#1 Bengal Warriors may try to sign a new captain at Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction
Former Pro Kabaddi League champions Bengal Warriors have released their captain Maninder Singh ahead of the new season. The tall raider captained the Bengal-based franchise in the previous tournament.
Although Maninder performed well for the team, the Warriors have decided to let him go. They have retained Vaibhav Garje, R Guhan, Suyog Gaikar, and Parshant Kumar in their squad ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction.
The Warriors can try to re-sign Maninder Singh at the auction this year. Speaking to Sportskeeda ahead of the auction, Maninder opened up about the possibility of returning to Bengal:
"It's been a wonderful journey with Bengal Warriors. I have played for Bengal ever since I came back in PKL. I have a lot of memories and we also won the tournament (PKL 7 title). We will see what happens in auction, all depends on auction dynamics."
It will be interesting to see whether the Bengal Warriors buy Maninder Singh back or target another player as captain at the auction.
#2 Gujarat Giants have released their captain Chandran Ranjit
Experienced raider Chandran Ranjit captained the Gujarat Giants in the previous edition of the Pro Kabaddi League. However, Ranjit did not receive a place in the list of players retained by the Ahmedabad-based franchise ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction.
The Giants have retained Manuj, Sonu, Rakesh, Rohan Singh, and Parteek Dahiya. While Rakesh can captain the side, it will be better if the team management looks for an experienced player at the auction and allows Rakesh to play without the burden of captaincy.
#3 Haryana Steelers have released their captain Joginder Narwal
Veteran defender Joginder Narwal led the Haryana Steelers team in the previous edition of the Pro Kabaddi League. Narwal has not been retained by the Steelers this year. The franchise has also released Manjeet Dahiya, who was their best raider last season.
K. Prapanjan, Vinay, Jaideep Dahiya, and Mohit can be considered captaincy candidates from the list of players retained by Haryana. However, the franchise should look to buy another player at the auction who can be entrusted with the captain's role. Someone like Vikash Khandola, who has led the Steelers in the past, could be a brilliant choice.