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The third week of Pro Kabaddi League saw some explosive fixtures happening in Bengaluru, with the action shifting to Kolkata towards the end of the week. With the tournament now reaching its business end, defending champions Patna Pirates sit atop the standings, with 41 points from their 10 matches.
Jaipur Pink Panthers are a close second, with 37 points from 11 matches, with Puneri Paltan and Telugu Titans rounding off the top four.
The week saw many good defensive performances, with Sandeep Narwal of the Telugu Titans and Nilesh Shinde of the Bengal Warriors standing out, along with the warhorse Dharmaraj Cheralathan.
Similar to how Castrol Activ’s Actibonds always Cling to to protect the engine and allow it to function better, the defensive effort put in by teams helps them stop the opposition, easing the pressure on their raiders.
Here are the top 5 defenders of the week –
Fazel Atrachali (Patna Pirates)
Patna Pirates defeated Bengal Warriors 33-27 to top the table with 41 points in 10 matches, and they look good to defend their title this season. The Champions of season 3 had Fazel Atrachali, the Iranian defender, to thank for their victory over a resilient Warriors side who mostly had the lead in the match, but could not capitalize on that and saw their dreams of qualifying for the semi-finals reduce.
Fazel had a great game and was on point throughout the match. The raiders did not have a solution to his defensive onslaught, as he was successful in his mission to stop the Warriors raiders from scoring points at will.
He collected 7 tackle points in the match which included 2 super tackles to almost single-handedly give the victory to the Pirates.
He also had an excellent game against Bengaluru Bulls, as his performance helped Patna win the match 38-23. He had 6 tackle points to his name in the match, and is now looking like his old self.
Vishal Mane (Bengal Warriors)
Bengal Warriors have been looking good in their last few matches, as they fight against all odds to make the cut for the semi-finals. They are currently languishing at the bottom of the table with just 17 points in 10 matches, having won only 2 of their matches.
The team looks formidable on the defensive front, however, and they proved it in their thrilling encounter against Puneri Paltan, which ended in a 34-34 draw.
Mane was the main reason for their phenomenal performance in the match, as he went on a rampage on the court and stopped the Puneri raiders from scoring raid points. He used his agility and dashes to his advantage to foil any attempts by the opposition when they took him on during raids.
He scored 6 very important tackle points for his team, which included 2 super tackles as well. He will play a major role if Bengal hope to make a comeback in the tournament.
Sandeep Narwal (Telugu Titans)
Telugu Titans are high on success in the tournament, having won their last four matches by showcasing some amazing performances on the mat. They can see their dream of making it to the semi-finals come true if they continue with their winning form. They are currently fourth in the table with 29 points from 9 matches, with 5 victories to their credit.
Sandeep Narwal has justified his role as the team’s main defender and has guided young starlets like Sandeep Dhull who have given defensive solidity to the team.
Sandeep was on fire in the game against Puneri Paltan, which the Titans won by 3 points with the final score reading 32-29 in their favour. He had a great all-round display that night, as he scored an important raid point and stopped the Paltan raiders from being successful in scoring raid points.
He took on Deepak Niwas Hooda and ensured he didn’t score points at will, and scored 6 tackle points in the match, helping his team win the game.
Dharmaraj Cheralathan (Patna Pirates)
Dharamaraj Cherlathan, the captain of Patna Pirates has led from the front and inspired his team to give their best on the mat, which has resulted in them being the most successful team in the tournament as far as they top the table with 8 victories from 10 matches.
The Pirates dominated U Mumba in a crucial encounter which saw them emerge victorious, as they comfortably won the match 34-24. He scored 7 tackle points in the match and kept the Mumbai raiders quiet. His performance in the match also included a super tackle.
He had an age-defying performance against Bengaluru Bulls and helped his team win the match by scoring 5 tackle points and 2 raid points in the game. The Pirates can go on to defend their title this season if their captain continues his blazing form in the league.
Nilesh Shinde (Bengal Warriors)
Bengal Warriors finally secured their second win of the season in their 10th game, defeating the Jaipur Pink Panthers. Jang Kun Lee was the best player in the match as he scorched the opposition and scored 12 points.
However, captain Nilesh Shinde also had a big role to play in their victory which gave their fans something to cheer about after a long time. He turned to be the best defender in the match and left the Jaipur raiders clueless with his experience and stupendous display of defensive skills.
He scored 4 tackle points in the game, which worked in the favour of his team and gave them a win after a long wait. He will have to inspire his team to win their remaining matches if they hope to keep their dream of playing the semi-finals alive.
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