Pro Kabaddi 2022 (PKL) will start on October 7 with 12 teams vying for the prestigious trophy. The last few years have not been great for PKL due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 edition of the Pro Kabaddi League was canceled, while the 2021/22 season took place behind closed doors in Bengaluru. There was a COVID outbreak in the PKL bio-bubble, forcing the organisers to reschedule matches frequently.
However, the upcoming season of the Pro Kabaddi League promises to be one of the best ever. Fans will return to the stadiums to cheer for their favorite PKL teams for the first time since 2019.
Apart from fans, some popular PKL stars will also make their return to the kabaddi mat this year. On that note, here's a list of three players who missed the previous PKL season but have earned contracts for the upcoming tournament:
#1 Vinod Kumar
All-rounder Vinod Kumar has received a contract from the Bengal Warriors for the upcoming PKL season. He won the fifth edition of the PKL with Patna Pirates, while he played for the Gujarat Giants in Season 7, earning 10 points in 10 matches.
Kumar has a ton of experience under his belt. He could prove to be an asset for the Kolkata-based franchise.
#2 Young Chang Ko
South Korea's right cover defender Young Chang Ko missed the 2021 PKL season, but he will don the Gujarat Giants jersey in Pro Kabaddi 2022. Young has played for U Mumba, Jaipur Pink Panthers and Bengal Warriors in the past.
His last appearance in the league came in 2019 for U Mumba. The Korean defender scored nine points in 14 games for the Mumbai-based franchise.
#3 Sonu Jaglan will return in Pro Kabaddi 2022
Gujarat Giants raider Sonu Jaglan missed the 2021 PKL season because of an injury. He is back in the squad this year after recovering from his injury.
Sonu played 17 matches for Gujarat in 2019, scoring 76 points for the team. It will be interesting to see how he performs in Pro Kabaddi 2022.