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If one had to create a line up minus the stellar raiders of Pro Kabaddi League, what would it look like?
On the outset, it would be hard to assemble a team comprising only of all-rounders and defenders who can go head to head with the eight teams in the league.
Players such as Manjeet Chhillar and Sandeep Narwal have excelled through all seasons of Pro Kabaddi League, showing how crucial all-rounders are in the sport.
Castrol Activ’s Actibonds form a protective coat around the engine, very similar to how defenders help give the team a strong base to work from, providing protection to the other members of the team.
We put together seven such players who would give any Pro Kabaddi team a run for their money -
Deepak Niwas Hooda
The 22-year-old picked up a massive 126 raid points this season for Puneri Paltan. What’s even more impressive is that he isn’t even an out and out raider.
The all-rounder did incredibly well in season four by altering his game. People didn’t expect that this change would see Hooda going on an onslaught .
He was relentless throughout the league. Being a left-sided raider, he found tremendous joy running across to the right. His swift hand touches spared no one. On an average, he picked up 7 raid points per match - the second highest in the league.
His performances in season four showed that there’s a lot he can achieve if he keeps going this way, and Deepak looked stronger, quicker and wiser in season four.
Rajesh Narwal
With 66 raid points this season, Rajesh was a livewire on the mat. For a player who is primarily known for his defending abilities, Narwal exhibited a lot of maturity during his raids.
He also made 18 successful tackles – a testament to his skills as an all-rounder. By contributing in both the raiding and defending departments, the 26-year-old ensured he was an everpresent for his team, providing a cushion to his defenders and raiders.
As seen this season, when teams have an effective all-rounder on the mat, it reduces the pressure on the specialists tremendously.
Sandeep Narwal
When Sandeep Narwal left Patna Pirates for the Telugu Titans in season four, Rahul Chaudhari knew his team had just scooped up one of the smartest all-rounders in the league.
Sandeep came up with the goods this season as well, producing 40 successful tackles, the fifth highest in the league. He also executed 20 successful raids over the course of the competition, thus demonstrating his importance to any Kabaddi seven.
He controlled the defence and marshalled his troops very well. His decision making at the back was one of the reasons Telugu Titans had the second best defence of Pro Kabaddi season four.
Manjeet Chhillar
A team of all-rounders wouldn’t be complete without the Puneri Paltan captain. Time and again, he continues to set the standards of what a leader ought to look like.
By executing 43 successful tackles, he eased the pressure on the likes of Ajay Thakur, Nitin Tomar and Deepak Niwas Hooda, who had to shoulder the bulk of the raiding responsibilities.
Season four will go down in history for one very important reason – Manjeet’s stupendous 11 tackle points against the Bengaluru Bulls. He finished the season with 43 tackles to his name, fourth highest in the tournament.
Sachin Shingade
Dabang Delhi had a season to forget as they finished in seventh position. Their raiders and defenders both didn’t do a lot of damage as they couldn’t click as a team.
Within all this hoopla, one man shined and shined bright - Sachin Shingade. He made an impressive 39 successful tackles at an average of 3 per match. The left cover left no stone unturned to give his side every chance of taking themselves higher up the table.
The timings of his ankle holds were brilliant as he trapped the raider completely. He was also part of 5 super tackles, the fourth best in the league.
Amit Hooda
Every season, another gem of a player pops up for the world to take notice. This season, it was Amit Hooda’s time to shine.
After a poor season 3, the right corner made amends and produced some massive defensive performances to guide his team to the finals.
Mind you, he’s still just 20 years old and we can only imagine the levels he’ll reach a couple of years down the line. Hooda executed 47 successful tackles this season, highest in the league.
Extremely fit and flexible, Amit pounces on the raiders with great agility and strength. If ever captain Jasvir Singh had a hard time marshalling his team, he had a mature Amit to lean on, who directed orders from his corner and did so impressively.
Fazel Atrachali
The final member of this all-star defensive team is the Iranian Hulk, Fazel Atrachali, who leaves India having spared no one on the mat. Almost every single raider in the league was at the receiving end of a vintage power block from Fazel.
On an average he hits the mark 6.25 times out of 10, a statistic that’s unparalleled in the league. With 45 tackles to his name, Atrachali had his best ever season in Pro Kabaddi, improving upon his season three numbers by a massive 13 tackles.
If last season he was a powerful defender, this time around, he was powerful, accurate and timely with his tackles, helping the Patna Pirates take home the title.
His brilliance on the mat was rewarded with him winning the award for the Best Defender of Season 4.
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