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The first half of Pro Kabaddi 2022 ended yesterday with a battle between the Gujarat Giants and the Tamil Thalaivas. The Giants returned to winning ways with a narrow 37-35 victory over the Thalaivas.
Dabang Delhi KC, Bengaluru Bulls and Patna Pirates emerged as the top three teams from the first half. All three franchises matched fans' expectations with their consistent performances on the mat.
Gujarat Giants, Puneri Paltan and Telugu Titans, meanwhile, kept languishing in the last three positions on the standings. The three franchises will be keen to bounce back in the second half.
Now that the season's first half is done and dusted, let's take a look at the best playing 7 from the first 66 games.
Left Corner - Mohammadreza Chiyaneh
Iranian all-rounder Mohammreza Chiyaneh has been a top performer for the Patna Pirates this season. Chiyaneh has scored 33 tackle points from 11 matches so far in his debut PKL season.
He has cemented his place in the Patna Pirates playing seven as the left-corner defender.
Left In - Pawan Sehrawat (Captain)
Bengaluru Bulls captain Pawan Sehrawat was the best raider in the tournament's first half. The High-Flier scored 153 raid points from 11 matches and played an integral role in Bengaluru's success.
Sehrawat will be keen to continue in the same vein and win the green arm band in PKL 8.
Left Cover - Jaideep Dahiya
Haryana Steelers left cover defender Jaideep Dahiya has been very impressive in his debut season. Jaideep has supported veteran defender Surender Nada to perfection in the defense.
So far this season, Jaideep has scored 38 tackle points from 11 matches, catapulting him to the No. 3 spot on the Most Tackle Points list.
Center - Maninder Singh
Bengal Warriors captain Maninder Singh played with incredible consistency in the first half of Pro Kabaddi 2022. Singh scored 138 raid points from 11 matches to attain second position on the raiders' leaderboard.
Despite the skipper's consistent performances, the Bengal Warriors have not performed their best so far this season.
Right Cover - Surjeet Singh
Tamil Thalaivas captain Surjeet Singh was the second most successful defender in the first half of Pro Kabaddi 2022. Playing at the right cover position, Singh has scored 40 tackle points so far in 11 games.
Surjeet has led his team from the front and will aim to take his team to the playoffs.
Right In - Naveen Kumar
Naveen Kumar played only nine matches in the first half of Pro Kabaddi 2022 but still managed to score 135 raid points. Kumar was the top raider for the majority of the first half.
However, an injury has forced him to miss Dabang Delhi KC's recent games. Fans will hope that he recovers to full fitness soon.
Right Corner - Sagar Rathee
Sagar Rathee was the best defender across all teams in Pro Kabaddi 2022. The right corner defender has scored 40 tackle points from 11 matches and played a vital role in the Tamil Thalaivas' success.
It will be interesting to see if Sagar can retain the orange arm-band throughout the second half and win the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Best Defender award.
