Pro Kabaddi 2019: Top 5 defenders of the tournament before the playoffs

#2 Sandeep Dhull, Jaipur Pink Panthers - 73 tackle points

Sandeep Dhull held the orange armband for a long time this year

Matches - 22, Tackle Points - 73, Average Tackle Points/Match - 3.32, High 5s - 5

Jaipur Pink Panthers had dominated the proceedings in the first half of PKL 2019. However, Deepak Niwas Hooda's men lost momentum as the season progressed. Their defensive unit committed a lot of unsuccessful tackles in the second half which ultimately led to their exit from the tournament.

But, in the first few matches, Sandeep Dhull had impressed one and all with his performances at the left corner position. In the 22 matches Dhull played this year, he scalped 73 tackle points at a fantastic average of 3.32. He was the only defender from the Jaipur Pink Panthers to feature in the top 15 defenders, which shows that he did not receive much support from the other defenders of his team.

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#1 Fazel Atrachali, U Mumba - 78 tackle points

Fazel Atrachali has established himself as the best Iranian player of the league

Matches - 22, Tackle Points - 78, Average Tackle Points/Match - 3.55, High 5s - 4

The Iranian left corner defender, Fazel Atrachali emerged as the most consistent defender of this season as he managed to score tackle points at an average of 3.55 per match in PKL 2019. His tackle strike rate of 60.93% is one of the best this season for a regular defender and given that his team will play in the playoffs, expect Atrachali to easily surpass the milestone of 80 tackle points in this edition.

An interesting fact to note here is that three of the top 5 defenders are the captains of their respective sides. This shows that these players did not crumble under the pressure of captaincy but emerged as a better individual player in PKL 2019.