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The Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction is officially in the history books. All 12 teams have filled up the vacant spots in their squad, and it is hard to pick the strongest side because all franchises have stacked their teams with some incredibly talented players.
The first job of the team management of all teams is over. The next thing that the coaches will have to do is to pick the right captain for the team. Captaincy brings responsibility and not all players can perform well under that pressure. Hence, the coaches and team owners will have to think a lot before announcing their team's captain.
We try to predict the captains of all 12 teams for the Pro Kabaddi 2023 season.
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#1 Bengal Warriors - Maninder Singh
Bengal Warriors re-signed their star raider Maninder Singh for a whopping ₹2.12 crore by using the FBM card at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction. Singh has been the most consistent performer for the Warriors in the last few seasons. He also did an impressive job as the team's captain.
Since the Warriors spent so much for his services at the auction, it is likely that the Bengal-based franchise will assign the captaincy role to Maninder in Pro Kabaddi 2023.
#2 Bengaluru Bulls - Saurabh Nandal
Bengaluru Bulls named Mahender Singh as their captain for PKL 9 but the star defender has now left for U Mumba. Hence, the Bulls will have to name a new skipper for season 10.
Corner defender Saurabh Nandal was the vice-captain of the Bulls last season. Considering how much coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat has backed Nandal, it should not be a surprise if he is promoted to the captaincy role.
#3 Dabang Delhi KC - Naveen Kumar
Naveen Kumar led Dabang Delhi KC to the playoffs last season. Although the season eight champions could not defend their crown successfully, the team performed well in the league stage.
As a result, 'Naveen Express' should continue as the captain of the Delhi-based franchise. He will have a lot more captaincy experience under his belt in Pro Kabaddi 2023.
#4 Gujarat Giants - Fazel Atrachali
Gujarat Giants appointed Chandran Ranjit as their captain last season. The team managed only nine wins in 22 matches and were eliminated in the league stage.
The Giants have let go of Ranjit this year. They roped in Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali for ₹1.6 crore. Puneri Paltan reached the finals for the first time last season under Fazel's captaincy. Hence, Gujarat may elect him as their new captain.
#5 Haryana Steelers - Chandran Ranjit
Chandran Ranjit received a massive deal worth ₹62 lakh from the Haryana Steelers at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction. Ranjit is a seasoned PKL campaigner, who has captained the Gujarat Giants in the past.
Haryana's season nine captain Joginder Narwal has retired from PKL and the team needs a new skipper. While they have the option of Siddharth Desai as well, the management should assign the leadership duties to Ranjit and let Desai play without any extra pressure.
#6 Jaipur Pink Panthers - Sunil Kumar
Defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers retained a majority of their squad members from the last PKL season. They even held on to defender Sunil Kumar, who was the captain last season.
Given that Jaipur became the champions under Sunil's leadership, the Abhishek Bachchan-owned franchise is unlikely to name a new captain for Pro Kabaddi 2023.
#7 Patna Pirates - Neeraj Kumar
Patna Pirates appointed defender Neeraj Kumar as their captain for the previous Pro Kabaddi League season. The three-time champions won eight out of 22 matches and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The Pirates have retained Kumar in their squad for Pro Kabaddi 2023. It can be a hint that the team management wants to give him another chance as captain.
#8 Puneri Paltan - Mohammadreza Shadlu
Puneri Paltan released their captain Fazel Atrachali before the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction. The Pune-based franchise roped in his compatriot Mohammadreza Shadlu for a mammoth ₹2.35 crore price.
Shadlu is one of the best all-rounders in the world right now. Pune could continue having an overseas captain in the PKL this year as well.
#9 Tamil Thalaivas - Sagar Rathee
Sagar Rathee replaced Pawan Sehrawat as Tamil Thalaivas' captain in the previous PKL season after the latter's injury. With Pawan no longer in the squad and Rathee retained, the Thalaivas may elect him as their captain.
Rathee has been a top performer for the Chennai-based franchise in the defense. The right-corner defender is the favorite to be named as Thalaivas' new captain.
#10 Telugu Titans - Pawan Sehrawat
Telugu Titans went all out for Pawan Sehrawat at the PKL 2023 Auction and signed him for a record price of ₹2.605 crore. Sehrawat has captained Bengaluru Bulls and Tamil Thalaivas in the past.
He recently led India to a gold medal at Asian Games 2023 and it would be a surprise if the Titans do not name him as their new captain.
#11 U Mumba - Girish Ernak
U Mumba had a very young squad led by Surinder Singh in the previous season. While the youngsters performed well in some matches, they could not take the Mumbai-based franchise to the playoffs.
The Mumbai-based franchise roped in two experienced defenders in the form of Girish Ernak and Mahender Singh at the PKL 2023 Auction. Expect them to be the captain and vice-captain of the team.
#12 UP Yoddhas - Pardeep Narwal
UP Yoddhas appointed Pardeep Narwal as their captain midway through the PKL 9 tournament. Narwal brought his experience to the fore and helped the Yoddhas finish in the Top 6 of the points table.
The Yoddhas team management will likely continue with Narwal as the captain and hope that the Record Breaker leads the franchise to their maiden PKL title win in Pro Kabaddi 2023.
