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

The raiders have fetched big bucks at the PKL 12 auctions.

Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is all set to begin on the 29th of August. The 12-team franchise-based league will return to its original August-October window after five years.

It was the pandemic that led to the postponement of season eight of the league to December 2021. Last two years, there were serious attempts to bring the league back to the original window, but the organisers couldn’t finalise it.

With the Indian Super League on hold and the Cricketing Calendar getting a rare free month in India, the organisers saw it as a perfect opportunity to go back to their own window. The Auction ahead of the season was conducted at the end of May, which saw some massive shake-ups in the team. Many PKL stars were in the auction for the first time, and they moved to newer teams.

As usual, it was the Raiders who were in higher demand, and the auction saw teams with different strategies. While a few teams invested in young Raiders and others wanted to back the experience, which will be handy in pressure situations.

With all teams looking good for the season, let’s look at the Best Raiders from each team for PKL.

Also Read: PKL 12: Four cities likely to host Pro Kabaddi 2025; All you need to know

Bengal Warriorz – Devank Dalal

Devank Dalal was one of the most sought-after free agents after Patna decided not to retain him. Bengal Warriorz saw an opportunity to build a team around him for years and was determined to get him in the Auction. They kept on increasing the bid to a level that Pirates couldn’t afford with a Final Bid Match card.

The 26-year-old was finally sold for 2.205 cr to Bengal Warriorz and will be the most watched in the upcoming season. Dalal was a former member of the Indian Army, and those training camps helped him in strengthening his body and mind. He showed in the 71st Senior Nationals finals, when the match was moved to a tie-breaker, and it was the calmness of the man from Rohtak that guided Services to the title. Bengal would be hoping the same.

Bengaluru Bulls – Akash Shinde

This year’s Auction saw many Coaches not only switching teams but also taking some of their best players with them. One primary example is the move of Coach BC Ramesh and Akash Shinde from Puneri Paltan to Bengaluru Bulls. The Raider played a pivotal role in the success of the Paltan in seasons nine and ten. No one has used Akash better than Coach Ramesh in recent years.

In the absence of their regular skipper, he was also entrusted with captaincy in previous years. The 24-year-old will be crucial to the Bulls’ chances as their Raiding unit is one of the least experienced. With the young sensation Pirati Srisivatejesh ruled out, Akash’s role will be crucial. The duo will probably be deploying the Raiding trio and distributing the workload to ensure all Raiders stay fresh throughout the game.

Dabang Delhi KC – Ashu Malik

Having released both Ashu Malik and Naveen Kumar, Dabang Delhi were expected to get one of the two in the Auction, and the Joginder Narwal-coached side has decided to put their punt on Ashu Malik, who has grown by leaps and bounds in the last three years. During season 10, when Naveen was injured in the Chennai leg, Ashu took up the responsibility of the lead Raider.

He unleashed himself to top the Raiding charts. He continued his impressive run last season as well, with the Naveen Express struggling with injury. This has influenced the management to get Ashu back not only for the upcoming season but also for the year after, as they used the two-year FBM card. The Man from Haryana will lead Delhi’s Raiding unit to get the trophy from his home state.

Also Read: PKL: Opening day fixtures of each Pro Kabaddi League seasons

Gujarat Giants – Parteek Dahiya

Parteek Dahiya will lead the Gujarat Giants‘ raiding unit this year. Under the new coaching staff, Parteek will continue to be the key player, shouldering the responsibilities. Coming from a Kabaddi family where his maternal uncle Deepak Hooda is one of the legends of the league, Parteek has all the abilities to emulate his uncle.

The 23-year-old made his PKL debut in season nine and had an outstanding debut season with 183 points. He has been retained for the past two years, and last year saw him struggle with form. With the addition of Mohammadreza Shadloui, their defence has a deadly look. But it is the attacking team that has to do the bulk of the scoring, and Parteek will be expected to be at the forefront of it.

Haryana Steelers – Naveen Kumar

Haryana Steelers made one of the biggest headlines on day one of the Auction. They stayed silent for most of the day, and when the final player of the day was called, the defending champions jumped in, grabbed him like a thigh hold to lift him to their setup. Naveen Kumar came into the Auction for the first time in PKL history, and he was in great demand despite his injury struggles.

Manpreet was determined to strengthen his offence as their defence is one of the best in the business. Naveen will be relieved to be playing for Haryana, a team that has a strong core. This will allow the 25-year-old to play freely and not worry about carrying the team. The fans would want to see the Naveen Express in full flow.

Jaipur Pink Panthers – Manjeet Dahiya

Jaipur Pink Panthers made one of the shocking decisions ahead of season 12 when they decided to release Arjun Deshwal. Many PKL fans were waiting to see who would take over the Mantle, and the two-time champions have entrusted the responsibility to the experienced Manjeet Dahiya. The tall Raider has been one of the most consistent performers in the circuit.

The description of entrusted the responsibility suits Manjeet, who thrives as a lead Raider. In the six seasons he has played, his best three seasons have come when he was the primary Raider of the side (Pune in Season 7, Thalaivas in Season 8, Harayana in Season 9). With Narender Redhu as the coach, this thought is said to be influenced by him, and JPP fans would be hoping for the strategy to pay off.

Patna Pirates – Maninder Singh

Maninder Singh will have a point to prove when he wears the Green and yellow of Patna Pirates in the upcoming season of PKL. He was with Bengal Warriorz for seven years and scored at an average of 218 for the first six seasons. His form dropped drastically in the last season as he could muster only 102 points. Hence, he was released and was picked by Patna, a side that always brings the best in a player.

Maninder couldn’t ask for a better franchise, and with the legendary Anup Kumar at the helm, the Raider would want to show his mightiest best. He will have the support of Ayan Lohchab, Deepak Jaglan, and Sudhakar M. The mere presence of Mani will boost the confidence of this young team, and he is expected to control the game on the mat.

Puneri Paltan – Sachin Tanwar

Sachin Tanwar had a season to forget last year and has moved to Puneri Paltan this season. Despite starting off very well, guiding Tamil Thalaivas to the top of the points table after the end of the third week, his form faded away as the Thalaivas kept losing games. He was benched for a few games but never recovered from the slump.

He rediscovered his mojo for his state side, Rajasthan, in the Senior Nationals, and the season 10 champions will be happy to see the 26-year-old gain confidence going into the season. The trio of Aslam Inamdar, Pankaj Mohite, and Mohit Goyat has given tremendous success in the last few years, and with the addition of a Do-or-die specialist in Sachin, Paltan’s Raiding unit is one of the most formidable for the season.

Tamil Thalaivas – Arjun Deshwal

No one has scored more points in the last four editions of the PKL than Arjun Deshwal. He will be a massive addition to Tamil Thalaivas, who have struggled in the league despite boasting greats like Ajay Thakur, Rahul Chaudhari, and Sachin Tanwar in the past. He will be with his mentor, Sanjeev Baliyan, who has guided him over the years.

Arjun’s consistency with greater precision has earned him the name of Raid Machine. Ironically, the best defender in the last four seasons, Shadloui, confessed that the 26-year-old is the toughest Raider he has faced in the past. He will have the likes of Pawan Sehrawat and Narender Kandola to support him, and the honorary DSP in the Police would like to take charge and lead Thalaivas in PKL 12.

Telugu Titans – Bharat Hooda

Telugu Titans surprised many when they decided to let go of Pawan Sehrawat, under whom they almost qualified last season, having finished last in the three seasons before that. With Krishna Kumar Hooda at the helm, it was expected that they would invest in youngsters, and they have roped in Bharat Hooda for the upcoming season.

In his short career, Bharat has taken over the responsibility of the lead raider for the teams he has played for. His potential was unleashed in Season nine with Bengaluru Bulls. Last year saw the 23-year-old took over the responsibility of a lead Raider at UP Yoddhas from Pardeep Narwal. He tasted success, and the Titans would be expecting the same as he takes over from Pawan.

U Mumba – Ajit Chouhan

U Mumba‘s Ajit Chouhan was one of the finds of the tournament last year, as he helped them make it to the playoffs after three years. The left raider’s swiftness in the Orange Jersey brought back memories of Siddharth Desai from previous seasons.

They have an experienced defensive line-up to control the game on the mat, while they have assembled a young raiding unit to use the energy of their youth. Ajit will be the primary attacker in the squad; he will be accompanied by the likes of Amirmohammad Zafardanesh and Rohit Raghav. He scored 186 points last season, and he will be eager to score more for the season two champions.

UP Yoddhas – Guman Singh

UP Yoddhas, one of the most consistent sides in PKL history, have made it to the playoffs in six of the seven seasons they have played. They have retained their core for most of the seasons, and for the upcoming season, they have made only one change. They have replaced Bharat Hooda with Guman Singh, who represented Gujarat last season.

Although Guman had a good season personally, he couldn’t guide his team to victories. He felt the pressure of being the lone raider to do the bulk of the scoring. He would be relieved to see the likes of Surender Gill, Bhavani Rajput, and Gagan Gowda share his workload. He hasn’t breached the 200-mark in his career, and if he could do it, then Yoddhas could finally end their trophy drought.

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