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The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) ushered the sport into a new era filled with fast-paced action and edge-of-the-seat thrillers. The journey from Season 1 to Season 10 has been nothing short of mesmerising, with the sport being completely revamped.
The league has undoubtedly turned around the life of the players, officials and everyone involved with the sport prior to it's inception. Being associated with the PKL is now a status symbol.
Over the years, it has given wings to many youngsters' dreams who have wished to play in the Pro Kabaddi League. Right from it's inception, it has captivated audiences from youngsters to elders, who have played the game in their schooldays, and they have become major supporters of the league.
Right from U Mumba winning the first match to being on the cusp of the historic 1000th fixture, the Pro Kabaddi League has come a long way. It has seen multiple new stars emerge, heroes being made and legacies being created. The gift of kabaddi has well and truly been given to the world courtesy of the league.
Now, as the Bengal Warriors lock horns with the Bengaluru Bulls in the landmark 1000th match, let us take a look at the legends who have have had the biggest impact in the Pro Kabaddi League.
Corners: Fazel Atrachali & Ravinder Pahal
Fazel Atrachali is undoubtedly one of the biggest international players to have featured in the Pro Kabaddi League over the years. He has plied his trade for multiple franchises and is a force to be reckoned with in the left corner.
Atrachali holds the record for the most tackle points across seasons, with 456 tackle points under his belt and will be eyeing the 500-tackle points mark soon.
Ravinder Pahal, fondly nicknamed as 'The Hawk,' has been an absolute terror in the right corner for raiders. Having won the Best Defender of the Season in the second edition, Pahal has been largely consistent with his performances.
Pahal will be a great partner for Atrachali, with both having a similar aggressive style of play.
Covers: Manjeet Chhillar & Surjeet Singh
Manjeet Chhillar was perhaps the greatest all-rounder in the initial seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League. He had the ability to do it all and would turn games on its head almost single-handedly.
Manjeet finished as the highest tackle-points scorer in two seasons and has picked up his fair share of raid points too. He was part of the title-winning Dabang Delhi KC in Season 8 before calling time on his career.
Surjeet Singh, meanwhile, continues to ply his trade after debuting in Season 3 with the Puneri Paltan. The right cover position is a very difficult one to play but Surjeet has made it his own. His aggressive intent paired with his immaculate execution sees him play for the Indian national team even now.
Raiders: Anup Kumar (c), Pardeep Narwal & Maninder Singh
Statistics will certainly not define the impact that Anup Kumar has had in the Pro Kabaddi League. The "Bonus ka Badshah" has time and again put in some stupendous performances for U Mumba.
As he was in the twilight of his career, he could not rack up the big points in his latter seasons. However, "Captain Cool's" leadership was both astute and crafty.
Pardeep Narwal, meanwhile, needs no introduction. The "Dubki King" has surpassed all other raiders that there ever were. He single-handedly took Patna Pirates to three titles on the back of his raiding and was virtually unstoppable in the initial seasons of the league.
With a greater level of fitness in Season 10, Pardeep will be aiming to add to his tally as the highest raid points scorer.
Lastky, Maninder Singh burst onto the scene in Season 1, where he scored over 100 points. However, he returned directly in Season 5 thereafter for the Bengal Warriors and has been one of the best and most consistent raiders.
With his brute power and ease of picking up points, Maninder completes the all-time playing seven of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Substitute Corners: Surender Nada & Nitesh Kumar
Surender Nada had one of the strongest ankle holds in the game. His skill was of such a level that U Mumba had Fazel Atrachali warming the benches. Nada has played with multiple franchises so far and was one of the best left corners in the initial editions of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Nitesh Kumar, on the other hand, has risen to fame after some solid performances for the UP Yoddhas. He has loyally served the franchise and has captained the team as well. Nitesh was also part of the Asian Games 2023 Gold winning Indian team.
Despite sometimes going under the radar, he has racked up some big numbers in defense. With a lot of kabaddi still left in him, he could become an all-time great right corner by the time he hangs his boots.
Substitute Covers: Sunil Kumar & Jeeva Kumar
Sunil Kumar has been simply prolific in his time so far in the PKL. He started off with the Patna Pirates but moved to the Gujarat Giants, where he formed a lethal partnership with Parvesh Bhainswal.
Sunil then captained the Jaipur Pink Panthers to the trophy in PKL 9 and has always had the confidence to convert a half chance into a successful tackle.
Another member of the U Mumba champion team, Jeeva Kumar bears a calm and collected head on his shoulders. Despite being short in stature, Jeeva has taken on and tamed some of the biggest raiders in Pro Kabaddi League history.
Now serving as a defense coach of U Mumba, he is helping the next generation of cover defenders excel.
Substitute Raiders: Pawan Sehrawat, Naveen Kumar, Deepak Niwas Hooda
Pawan Sehrawat, the current Indian team skipper, did not have the best of starts to his Pro Kabaddi League career. After three topsy-turvy seasons, he had his defining moment in Season 6, playing a huge role in the Bengaluru Bulls winning the title.
His time with the Bulls was very successful but he has failed to replicate it in his subsequent moves to the Tamil Thalaivas and Telugu Titans. This has been disappointing for the franchises as he is the highest-ever paid player in PKL history.
Naveen Kumar, meanwhile, has been in the PKL only since Season 6 but is definitely one of the best raiders in the circuit. He helped Dabang Delhi K.C. capture the title in Season 8.
Naveen has notched up multiple points at will and will be looking to make a strong comeback next year after being ruled out of the ongoing season.
Lastly, Deepak Niwas Hooda is quite an underrated all-rounder in the Pro Kabaddi League. He was the raider with the quickest feet initially and was one of the fittest players. Hooda's contributions in raid and defense have always been invaluable.
Honourable Mentions: Ajay Thakur, Rahul Chaudhari.
