Pro Kabaddi 2022: Prediction of all 12 captains of the PKL 9 teams

After the player auctions last month, 10 out of 12 franchises decided to disclose their captains before the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. 

Most skippers from last season failed to retain their spots, and despite not having official announcements regarding the same, here is a list of the predicted skippers for all 12 teams!

UP Yoddhas - Pardeep Narwal

UP Yoddhas have never skipped the playoffs across all seasons but have not won the title yet. Now that they have a PKL-winning captain, Pardeep Narwal, available, he could take the wheel here. 

U Mumba - Surinder Singh

Surinder Singh, one of the most experienced kabaddi players, has returned to the U Mumba team, and he could become the captain now that the team wants to improve after finishing 10th in the 2021-22 campaign. 

Telugu Titans - Surjeet Singh

The Telugu Titans have assembled a terrific roster of raiders, defenders, and all-rounders before the ninth season. Cover defender Surjeet Singh, former skipper of the Bengal Warriors and the Tamil Thalaivas might help the team bounce back from a bottom-of-the-table finish last season.

Tamil Thalaivas - Pawan Sehrawat

Pawan Sehrawat was the captain of the Bengaluru Bulls in the last two seasons, so it makes sense if they reassign the Hi-Flier as the captain for Pro Kabaddi 2022. 

Puneri Paltan - Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh

Despite Fazel Atrachali being the obvious choice for captain, Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh could head the Pune-based franchise. He is a proven match winner who could turn things around for the team.

Patna Pirates - Rohit Gulia

Season eight runners-up, the Patna Pirates, retained most players but parted ways with Prashanth Kumar Rai and veteran raider Monu Goyat. New arrival Rohit Gulia former Gujarat Giants skipper, could take the frontline.

Gujarat Giants - Rakesh HS

Despite having lesser-known names in their squad, Gujarat Giants have reaped more than they can sow, and this season, raider Rakesh HS retained by Gujarat, could become the captain.

Jaipur Pink Panthers - Sunil Kumar

After being released by Gujarat Giants, their former skipper Sunil Kumar was signed by Jaipur Pink Panthers, who want to recover from their eighth-placed finish last season so he could be seen at the helm. 

Haryana Steelers - Joginder Narwal

Joginder Narwal, who won PKL eight as captain of the Dabang Delhi KC, was not retained by the franchise, but now, he is the top contender for captaincy in Haryana, who missed the playoffs this season.

Dabang Delhi KC - Naveen Kumar

Defending champions Dabang Delhi KC have assembled a team of seasoned players, and the squad's young raider Naveen Kumar could lead as the captain.

Bengaluru Bulls - Vikash Khandola

The Bengaluru Bulls threw in ₹1.7 crores to sign former Haryana Steelers captain Vikash Khandola who is set to replace Pawan Sehrawat as the main raider. Having led Haryana last season, he could be named the skipper. 

Bengal Warriors - Maninder Singh

Raider Maninder Singh has consistently served Bengal Warriors, who could be the only team that might retain their skipper. He led the team to a title win a few years back and is likely to lead the team that finished ninth in season eight.