4. Meraj Sheykh – Iran (Dabang Delhi)
Hailing from the Iranian kabaddi hub of Sistan, Meraj Sheykh always had a natural flair for the sport. Making a smooth transfer from the Telugu Titans to Dabang Delhi this season, he often stood out because of his courageous displays even when the Eagles looked to be in dire straits.
The all-rounder’s stupendous efforts came alive at home when Dabang Delhi took on the eventual champions Patna Pirates. Thanks to his aggressive tactics both in raiding and defending that contributed 11 points, Delhi came close to toppling the mighty Pirates for the second time, but narrowly lost 31-32. His brilliant thinking as a captain prevented his team from getting all out in that contest till the 29th minute.
Before that, the 28-year-old had shown his heroics once again. Against the former champions and PKL4 runners-up Jaipur Pink Panthers, it was his rich haul of 11 points that pushed the team to a respectable 22-24 loss.
He ultimately finished with 63 raid points that put him in the 10th place on the leaderboard – the highest among foreigners.
