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The trophy is unveiled. The stage is set and a spine-chilling thrill is in the air. Players are all ready to cross the line. Yes, the sixth edition of Pro Kabaddi is all set to get underway from the 7th of October. Twelve teams all across India will compete for that one trophy which Patna Pirates have been robbing since the last three seasons.
The auctions for the sixth season of PKL took place back in May. Monu Goyat became the costliest player after being bought by Haryana Steelers for a whopping ₹151 lakhs. The crore club was also joined by Rahul Chaudhari, Deepak Hooda, Rishank Devadiga and Nitin Tomar.
Prashanth Rai became the most expensive player on the second day of the auctions after UP Yoddhas bought him for a hefty amount of ₹79 lakhs. Fazel Atrachali became the priciest overseas player after U Mumba bought him for ₹100 lakhs.
The sixth season of PKL starts just tomorrow. Presenting to you are these five defenders to look forward to in the approaching season:
#5 Abozar Mighani (Telegu Titans)
Heavyweight Iranian player Abozar Mighani grabbed the headlines while he was playing for Iran's team during the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. His intricate skills came as a surprise to many. He complimented Fazel Atrachali just perfectly.
Impressed by his lively skilfulness, coach Manpreet Singh decided to buy him for Gujarat Fortune Giants. He made a debut in season 5 with Gujarat's franchise. Mighani was triumphant in keeping away some big players like Pardeep Narwal and Monu Goyat at bay.
Having played with Fazel earlier, Mighani was all-aware of his tactics which further helped him initiate the tackles even better. For the forthcoming season, Telegu Titans bought him for good price of ₹76 lakhs.
#4 Girish Ernak (Puneri Paltan)
Girish Ernak, the star. Girish started his PKL career in season 1 as he played from Patna Pirates. He then made a shift to Bengal Warriors in season 3. In season 5, Puneri Paltan bought him, which proved to be a boon for him. This left-corner defender left an impressive mark in season 5.
2018 Kabaddi Masters was the turning point of his career. There was no reliable defender in the team and hence, Girish got the advantage and proved himself. For the approaching season, Puneri Paltan declared him as the team captain. More is to come. Just wait and watch!
#3 Surender Nada (Haryana Steelers)
Sensational, splendid and a five-star defender, Surender Nada started his PKL career from U Mumba. He scored a total of 61 points in 15 matches with a striking 100% not out rate. He also scored "9 defense points" in a single match, which was mind-boggling.
Till date, Nada has played in Bengaluru Bulls before making a switch to Haryana Steelers. In total, he has scored 239 points in 70 matches, which is absolutely stellar. He will be seen leading Haryana's squad for the upcoming season.
#2 Fazel Atrachali (U Mumba)
Fazel Atrachali, an impeccable defender, started his PKL career playing from Anup Kumar's U Mumba. This Irani champion makes tackling look like child's play. Till date, he has been a part of Mumbai, Patna Pirates, and Gujurat Fortune Giants. The common thing about these three teams is that they all have played the finals in his presence.
A five-star defender, even big players are scared of him. An aggressive man on the court, Fazel is an absolute favourite here in India. Such complicate skills make him flawless. Till date, Fazel has scored a total of 154 points in 56 matches.
During the PKL 6 auctions, U Mumba bought him for a hefty ₹100 lakhs, which made him the costliest foreign player in the history of the league. He will be leading U Mumba from the front as a captain for the newest edition of PKL.
#1 Surjeet Singh (Bengal Warriors)
The lion of Haryana, Surjeet started his PKL career playing as a part of Puneri Paltan in season 3. A deadly defender that he is, Surjeet has scored a total of 165 points in 50 matches. This man has initiated extremely strong blocks, dashes and holds in the past.
Surjeet Singh has 16 High 5s from just 50 games which put him fifth on the list of player with the most numbers of High 5s. In Season 5, he had the scored most number of High 5s among all the defenders.
For the sixth season, Bengal Warriors have declared him as the captain. With such a great captain, Bengal Warriors have got a great advantage. Careful players, "Ye khel nahi hai aasaan"!
