PKL 12: Predicted captains of all teams for Pro Kabaddi 2025

Every team looks strong and balanced in PKL 12.

Preparations for Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 began in full swing, soon after the auction ended. Many players earned huge sums in the two-day auction, while some star players like Pardeep Narwal and Krishan Dhull did not find any buyers.

It was clear that each team had a well-thought-out auction strategy to succeed, and they put emotions aside. Having formed the squad, it’s action time on the mat. One of the important cogs in the wheel is the skipper, who controls the game on the mat.

It might sound easy, but in a high-pressure situation with the clock ticking and the scoreboard changing, keeping the number of free raids in check will be an uphill task. Every team would like to hand over the responsibility of captaincy to the guy who can run the match in every way.

On that note, let’s take a look at the predicted captains of all teams in PKL 12.

Here are the predicted captains of all teams-

Bengal Warriorz – Nitesh Kumar

Bengal Warriorz formed a new and young team in the Season 12 auction, and they also bought Devank Dalal for a huge amount. After a long time, they let go of their talismanic player Maninder Singh. The team may appoint star defender and experienced player Nitesh Kumar as their new captain for the upcoming season.

The right corner had a good season with Bengal and has been re-signed by the season seven champions. They let go of Fazel Atrachali, and the onus will be on Nitesh to lead the team with his experience.

Bengaluru Bulls – Yogesh Dahiya

Bengaluru Bulls released all their big players and formed a new team. More importantly, they let go of head coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat, who guided the team since the inaugural edition. Under the new coaching regime of BC Ramesh, the Bulls bought two quality corners, Ankush Rathee and Yogesh Dahiya.

The latter has been impressive in the two seasons, improving his tackle strike rate. His calmness could tempt the management to hand over the reins to him.

Dabang Delhi – Ashu Malik

If there was one team that had the most attention in the auction, it were Dabang Delhi. They had released two big stars, Ashu Malik and Naveen Kumar, before the auction, but the management decided to bring back Ashu by using the FBM card.

He is expected to lead the side, which has been filled with experienced defenders like Fazel Atrachali and Surjeet Singh. They lifted the title with the same combination of experienced defenders and young raiders in season eight, and Ashu Malik will look to replicate it this season.

Gujarat Giants – Mohammadreza Shadloui

All eyes were on the Gujarat Giants‘ table during the auction to see if they would sign the two-time Most Valuable Player Mohammadreza Shadloui.

As they have signed him, he will look to lead the young side of Gujarat. He will be supported by the retained duo of Parteek Dahiya and Rakesh Sungroya to do the bulk of the scoring. It will be interesting to see how Shadloui handles the captaincy if he is given the responsibility.

Haryana Steelers – Jaideep Dahiya

This is a no-brainer as Jaideep Dahiya will lead the Haryana Steelers in the upcoming season. The cover defender led the team to their first-ever PKL title in a dominating style last season.

Fans expect nothing less than the title, as their raiding department has found new strength with the addition of Naveen Kumar. With defence being their strength and a reinforcement raiding department, Jaideep will enjoy leading this strong unit.

Jaipur Pink Panthers – Nitin Rawal

The biggest cheer for Jaipur Pink Panthers fans was the return of Nitin Rawal after two seasons. The all-rounder spent four years with the inaugural champions and was used primarily as a raider.

He emerged as a top defender last season, and this season he can take on the captaincy to put the team on the right track to success.

Patna Pirates – Maninder Singh

Patna Pirates are known for their surprises and they could appoint the experienced Maninder Singh as their skipper. Mighty Mani has left Bengal after seven years and is looking forward to starting a new journey with a team that is known for winning championships.

The Pirates have built a strong squad with an impressive defensive team. After Anup Kumar becomes the head coach, he would like to take the team forward by handing over the responsibility to Maninder.

Puneri Paltan – Aslam Inamdar

Aslam Inamdar is one of the youngest captains in the PKL, and it was due to his leadership skills that Puneri Paltan won the trophy in season 10. His absence in the last season made a huge impact as they failed to make it to the playoffs, despite a strong squad.

The all-rounder has gained fitness and will be raring to go. With the likes of Sachin Tanwar, Vishal Bharadwaj, and Mohammad Nabibhakhsh, he has enough experience to rely on during tough situations.

Tamil Thalaivas – Arjun Deshwal

The love story of the captain-coach might continue at Tamil Thalaivas with Sanjeev Baliyan and Arjun Deshwal. It was a surprise when the men in yellow bid for him having already signed Pawan Sehrawat.

It will be interesting to see how they capitalise on the strong raiding department which includes Narender Kandola and Moein Safaghi apart from those two.

Defence will be their weakness, and it will be interesting to see where Pawan plays, as there have been some rumors that he will be playing in the cover position. A tough challenge awaits Arjun, but he will relish it.

Telugu Titans – Vijay Malik

Another coach-player story could result in Vijay Malik wearing the captaincy armband for Telugu Titans in the upcoming season of PKL. When Krishna Kumar Hooda was appointed as head coach last season, everyone expected him to bring Vijay into the squad.

The all-rounder did well for the Titans, but Hooda could trust him with the captaincy to lead the team front. These two played a pivotal role when Delhi won the title and the Titans would expect the same.

U Mumba – Sunil Kumar

Sunil Kumar will continue to be the skipper of the side having been bought up for the same role last year in the auction. His combination with his cousin Parvesh Bhainswal gives stability to the side. The cover defender is the most successful Indian skipper in PKL and would like to lay his hands on the PKL trophy.

U Mumba have retained most of their squad members, hence the season nine title-winning skipper will look to continue the good work.

UP Yoddhas – Sumit Sangwan

Sumit Sangwan can again take charge of the UP Yoddhas in the upcoming season. The left corner defender was impressive as a skipper last year, taking his team to the semis before losing to eventual champions Haryana Steelers.

Sumit has been one of the most consistent defenders in the league scoring 50+ points every season since his debut. With the addition of Guman Singh and Pranay Rane their raiding has also been strengthened. Sumit will be eager to get things right to move towards the elusive trophy.

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