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Pro Kabaddi League has revolutionized the sport of Kabaddi with its unique format that has given the players a whole lot of game time. The addition of do or die raids, reviews and timeouts have increased the use of strategies in the game.
Earlier, the sole goal of every kabaddi team was to get the all the players of the opposition team out as early as possible. There used to be only two or three players who had the permit to raid. However, as mentioned ahead, the new elements of the game have added more responsibility to the player’s roles.
We have often seen raiders like Rahul Chaudhari and Ajay Thakur pull off successful tackles for their team in crunch situations. In the same manner, a lot of defenders have saved their team from all outs by scoring crucial points through solid raids.
These points prove to be a bonus for a team and some times also go a long way to bring about wins to their teams. As we build up to the Pro Kabaddi 2019, here’s a list of the five defenders who have the most raid points to their name.
#5 Shyam Kumar Sah - 17 raid points
Twin brothers, Shyam Kumar Sah and Ram Kumar Sah were once a part of the Pro Kabaddi League. While Ram was a part of Patna Pirates, his brother played the role of a defender for Bengal Warriors. Shyam played three seasons for the Kolkata-based franchise.
Despite being a primary defender, he achieved success in the raiding department as well. Bengal had a weak raiding attack in the first two seasons which forced the defenders to try their luck in raiding.
Sah scored 10 raid points in the first season and then recorded 7 raid points in season three to bring about some crucial points on the raiding front. Apart from his raiding points, Sah also has 35 tackle points from 24 matches.
#4 Nilesh Shinde - 18 raid points
Right corner defender Nilesh Shinde was the cornerstone of Bengal Warriors defensive unit in the initial seasons of Pro Kabaddi League. The veteran defender played for Dabang Delhi in the final phases of his PKL career.
In the 69 PKL matches that Nilesh played, he scored 18 raid points. He scored 7 raid points in season one which reduced to 3 in the second edition. In the next three PKL tournaments, Shinde collected a total of 8 raid points. Half of these raid points came when Nilesh was the sole player left in his team.
One of the most experienced defenders in the history of the league, Shinde was a force to reckon with in the right corner position and apart from 18 raid points, has 135 tackle points to his credit.
#3 Kalimuthu Balamahendran
Lesser known defender Kalimuthu Balamahendran had emerged as a hero for his team, Puneri Paltan in a match against Bengaluru Bulls. In the second edition of PKL, defender Kalimuthu pulled off a super raid in a crunch situation to help Pune end Bengaluru Bulls’ winning run.
Balamahendran scored 12 raid points in the first season of which 11 were touch points. In season 2, the defender registered 6 raid points. His tackle points (5) were lesser than the number of raid points he scored from the second season.
However, the team management dropped him after he had a dismal outing in season 3. Balamahendran played 3 matches for his team but could not take pick a single point in either of the departments. He has not returned to the PKL after season 3.
#2 Surender Nada - 21 raid points
Former Haryana Steelers skipper Surender Nada has achieved supreme success in the Pro Kabaddi League. The left corner defender has played 71 Pro Kabaddi and started off his Pro Kabaddi journey as a part of U Mumba. When Haryana Steelers joined PKL in season 5, they picked Nada as their marquee player.
As a raider, Nada scored 10 points in the inaugural season. In the succeeding season, his raiding aggregate came down to 3. In the next three editions, the ankle hold specialist scored 8 raid points.
Just like Nilesh Shinde, a majority of Nada’s raid points have come when he was the lone player left for his side. The second-most successful defender in VIVO Pro Kabaddi will return to the league in season seven, after a year’s gap. He will join forces with the likes of Pardeep Narwal and Jang Kun Lee at the Patna Pirates.
#1 Dharmaraj Cheralathan - 40 raid points
Despite being the most senior player of the Pro Kabaddi League, Dharmaraj Cheralathan has never been retained by a team since season 2. Every season, the defender is a part of the player auction and a new franchise procures his services. His PKL journey started with Bengaluru Bulls in the inaugural season.
Fondly referred to as 'Anna', he has plyed his trade for Puneri Paltan, Telugu Titans, Patna Pirates, U Mumba and this year he will turn up for Haryana Steelers. Cheralathan can play on both right and left corner positions but he has also made use of his raiding abilities for the team’s cause.
His best raiding performances came in the first two seasons for Bengaluru Bulls. The ankle hold specialist scored 32 raid points in those two editions. Yet, post his raiding show in the first two seasons, the veteran defender has opted to take a backseat and contribute on the defensive front.
