PKL 12: Best cover of each team in Pro Kabaddi 2025

The cover position is a vital part of the team’s defence.

The Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12) is set to begin on August 29. It is gearing up to be a highly competitive season, considering the moves made by participating teams in the auction.

One of the major areas that any successful team must focus on is the cover position. A defender playing in the cover role is crucial in initiating tackles and supporting the corner defenders. These players are level-headed and showcase extreme calmness under pressure.

Having a good-performing cover contributes significantly to a team’s overall defensive performance, which is crucial if it intends to reach the later stages of the competition. As the dust settled after the auction for Season 12, the respective teams ended up with interesting options in cover positions.

On that note, let’s take a look at the best cover of each team in PKL 12.

List of each team’s best cover-

Tamil Thalaivas – Aashish Umed

Tamil Thalaivas are putting their faith in Aashish Umed for the upcoming season. The defender scored 22 tackle points last term and must improve on that performance going into the 12th edition of the PKL.

Jaipur Pink Panthers – Reza Mirbagheri

Reza Mirbagheri is a powerhouse defender. He likes to make advanced tackles and dominate raiders. He scored 58 tackle points in 23 matches last season, emerging as a crucial player in the Jaipur Pink Panthers lineup.

Puneri Paltan – Gurdeep

Puneri Paltan will once again look to challenge for the title, and a good defence will be key to achieving this goal. Gurdeep scored 33 tackle points in PKL 11 and can be a good asset if he improves on that performance in the next season.

Gujarat Giants – Milad Jabbari

Gujarat Giants looks to have invested more in other areas than the defence, thus playing a risky game of putting all their eggs in one basket.

While recruiting Mohammadreza Shadloui to their ranks, the Giants have left their cover position weak. They will be relying on Milad Jabbari, who had a forgettable season 11. He scored 33 tackle points in Season 10.

U Mumba – Sunil Kumar

U Mumba have perhaps one of the best covers in the PKL heading into the new season. Sunil Kumar, the captain of the franchise, will add bundles of quality to the outfit. He scored 54 tackle points in 23 matches last season.

Bengaluru Bulls – Sanjay Dhull

Bengaluru Bulls have identified defence as an area of improvement. They have acquired players like Yogesh Dahiya and Ankush Rathee in corner positions. Supporting them would be someone like Sanjay Dhull, who scored 57 tackle points in 24 matches last season, helping the Haryana Steelers clinch the PKL title.

Telugu Titans – Sagar Sethpal

Sagar Sethpal is a good cover option for Telugu Titans. He scored 41 tackle points in 22 matches last season, which was also his debut term in the PKL. 

UP Yoddhas – Ashu Singh

Ashu Singh will handle the cover position of the UP Yoddhas. The outfit has retained the defender who scored 37 tackle points in 23 matches for the team in the previous season.

Dabang Delhi – Surjeet Singh

Dabang Delhi have completely revamped their side, barring a few familiar names. The arrival of PKL veteran Surjeet Singh is a promising outcome as the cover defender brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the game that others might not possess.

Bengal Warriorz – Mayur Kadam

Bengal Warriorz had a severely underwhelming campaign in the PKL 11. However, they have retained Mayur Kadam, who scored 33 tackle points in 17 matches, emerging as the silver lining.

Patna Pirates – Deepak Singh

Deepak Singh is a decent cover option for the Patna Pirates. The PKL 11 runners-up will be relying on their star defender, who has scored 64 tackle points and 12 raid points in 25 matches.

Haryana Steelers – Jaideep Dahiya

Defending champions Haryana Steelers will rely on Jaideep Dahiya in the cover position. The captain scored 39 tackle points, including one High-5, in 21 matches in PKL 11. Losing Mohammadreza Shadloui and right cover, Sanjay Dhull, could be a big blow for the outfit, but Dahiya’s presence can be reassuring.

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