We’re nearing Season 5 of Pro Kabaddi and one thing’s for sure – merely securing a place in the starting 7 is a herculean task for any player. Consider this, over 400 players went under the hammer at the recent auction, 131 more compared to last time around. The competition is stiff and it’s now evident, only the players who display massive improvement will be guaranteed a place in the starting line-up. We look at 5 such players, who’ve improved the most.
#1 Deepak Niwas Hooda
As I write this piece today, Hooda will be celebrating his 23rd birthday. A fitting tribute to the clean-shaven allrounder who was only 21 when he made his Pro Kabaddi debut back in 2014. Commanding a sum of Rs.12.6 lacs in Season 1, Deepak was always considered a supremely talented player since Day 1.
The statistics speak for themselves – 86, 60 and 69 were the number of raid points he picked up in the first three seasons. But it was Season 4 when Hooda finally catapulted himself from talented to irreplaceable. Notching up a massive 126 raid points (third in the table), he was Pune’s go to man in the raiding department and will continue to be so this season.
#2 Meraj Sheykh
Any foreigner in the league, who has stepped foot on the mat, has always had apprehensions and understandably so. It’s an intimidating atmosphere, one that’s littered with a plethora of Indian talent. In his first two seasons (2 and 3), the Iranian allrounder didn’t even feature among the 20 best raiders in the league as he scrappily picked up 29 and 27 raid points respectively for the Telugu Titans. raiders in the league as he scrappily picked up 29 and 27 raid points respectively for the Telugu Titans.
But when he was transferred to Dabang Delhi in Season 4, Sheykh took the league by storm. Featuring among the top 10 raiders, he picked up 63 points and chipped in with some crucial tackle points as well. As Kashiling Adake struggled to replicate his form from previous seasons, the Iranina stepped up for the capital side, who in turn repaid their faith in him, retaining him for Season 5.
#3 Rajesh Narwal
By far the most underrated player in the league, Rajesh Narwal was among the few players who didn’t switch sides since the inception of the league in 2014. A vital cog in Jaipur’s line-up, the all-rounder has been the most consistent raiders in the league for the past four seasons – picking up 72,69, 59 and 66 raid points respectively.
A team player, Narwal rarely forgets his defensive responsibilities, accumulating an impressive 84 tackle points so far. Simply put, Narwal never has a bad day. When he does, it’s far better than most players’ good ones.
After two awful seasons post their victory in Season 1, Narwal played a crucial role in guiding the Panthers to their second final last time around. This time around, Uttar Pradesh have signed an astute reader of the game.
#4 Fazel Atrachali
For a man with two Pro Kabaddi titles under his belt, it’s hard to believe that Fazel Atrachali picked up a mere 11 tackle points in his debut season for U Mumba. Since then, his rise to the top has been meteoric. He finished season 3 with 32 raid points, finishing as the 10th best defender in the league. His move to the Patna Pirates last year, instilled massive belief in him.
So much so, he ended season 4 as a title winner and the best defender in the league, picking up a massive 52 tackle points. His performance at the recent World Cup further cemented his stature as one of the best defenders in the game. The Iranian powerhouse gave Anup Kumar no room to work, who had an arduous time against Atrachali and ended the match with a shocking number of empty raids. Patna let go of arguably the best defender this sport currently has.
#5 Amit Hooda
One of the newer players in the league, not many would believe or be able to recollect that Hooda made his debut in season 3 for the Patna Pirates, during which he ended up winning the title. But the 21-year-old, hardly played any role in his team’s accomplishments – chipping in with a mere 11 tackle points. We have no clue how many hours Hooda trained in the succeeding offseason, but Season 4 proved to be one which he will not forget anytime soon.
The right corner was the best Indian defender in the league, picking up an impressive 51 tackle points, only behind Atracheli. A call up to the national side is definitely on the horizon. Mohit Chillar’s spot in the Indian starting line-up could well be at risk.
