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There are some things that don't change. Rahul Chaudhari and Pardeep Narwal continued to light up the kabaddi world in 2017. Fazel Atrachali continued with his hard-hitting tackles.
But 2017 also saw a host of new players making their mark. Amidst the hectic competition, these players set themselves apart from the chasing pack with consistent, impressive and most importantly, match-winning performances. Sportskeeda looks at 5 kabaddi players who emerged in 2017.
#5 Monu Goyat
With Pardeep Narwal firing on all cylinders for Patna Pirates, not many would have imagined there was room for another raider to impress in the team. But Monu Goyat was vital in Patna's title-winning season this year.
With 191 raid points to his name, he finished as the fourth most successful raider in the league and aided Narwal when the going got tough. Monu also had a massive nine super 10's to his name, a testament to his consistency during the year that went by. Goyat was smart and made timely impacts, every time he went to raid for Patna. We're expecting bigger and better things from him in 2018.
#4 Maninder Singh
In many ways, Maninder Singh emerged from the dead to make a stinging impact in 2017. In season 1, he was the third best raider in the league, plying his trade for Jaipur Pink Panthers. However, due to reasons known only to him, he didn't partake in the next 3 editions of PKL.
He was picked up by Bengal Warriors in season 5 and instantly showed why he is still a force to be reckoned with. Maninder scored a whopping 190 raid points, six more than Rahul Chaudhari. He also managed 6 super raids, the fifth most in the league.
By and large, Maninder was Bengal's go-to man, every time they looked to bail themselves out. Singh never seemed fazed despite his hiatus and led by example. He was positive and aggressive, every time he stepped up to raid.
#3 Vishal Bhardwaj
While the Telugu Titans had a season to forget, a young corner defender emerged from their ranks. The southern outfit will be extremely keen to keep hold of him in 2018. Vishal Bhardwaj was the Titans' best player this season.
The left corner will turn 21 in January 2018 but he played like a seasoned campaigner during season 5. With 71 tackle points to his name, Vishal finished this year as the third best defender in the league.
While he will be keen to iron out certain limitations in his game, overall, Bhardwaj was a joy to watch. He was miserly at the corner and regularly chipped in with diving tackles. Veteran, corner defender, Surender Nada will have some competition, heading into next season.
#4 Abozar Mohajer Mighani
For four seasons, only a single Iranian managed to impose himself in a league dominated by Indian's kabaddi elite. Then came Abozar Mohajer Mighani in 2017. Playing his first ever season in the PKL, Abozar ended the year with 65 tackle points and the fifth best defender in the league.
Alongside Fazel, he formed a potent corner-defender partnership. Time and again, Abozar displayed his skill level, timing his diving tackles to perfection. He kept Pardeep Narwal in check every time Gujarat played Patna and that speaks volumes about his calibre.
In a season during where multiple raiding records were created and broken, Abozar was among the few defenders who managed to instil fear in his opponents.
#5 Sachin Tawar
After one Sachin retired a few years back, another emerged in 2017 and has already cemented himself among the upper echelons. Sachin Tawar was a joy to watch. His unpredictability and nimble feet lit up the PKL.
You could call him hyperactive whenever he's on the mat but mind you, Tawar is still only 20-years-old and filled with bundles of energy. If he manages to put this energy to good use, there's no telling the heights he can scale in 2018.
With 159 raid points to his name, Sachin finished the season as the 10th best raider in the league. He's by far the youngest attacker in the top 10 and will in all probability improve upon this ranking next year.
