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They say you get hit the hardest when you try and run away from a problem. But that doesn’t hold for Kabaddi. Stand strong or run away, chances are you’re going to get hit – and get hit really bad.
While it’s the raiders that generally command the spotlight, this year we’ve been witness to some immaculate defensive performances.
Castrol Activ’s Actibonds cling on and protect the engine, even when it’s off, enabling better performance for your bike. This is exactly like how a good outing for defenders in Kabaddi helps the raiders go and attack without concern.
We rank all the eight teams based on their defensive performances in Pro Kabaddi season four –
Bengal Warriors
If Kabaddi results were only dependent on successful tackles, Bengal would have had a real shot at the semi-finals.
The Warriors produced a commendable, 8.35 tackle points per match – fourth on the list. In the process, they notched up a whopping 117 successful tackles in their fourteen games. No individual shone through for Bengal, they defended well as a team.
Unfortunately for them, they severely lacked an extra raider to aid Jang Kun Lee in attack, something that proved costly for them as they finished at the bottom of the league table - winning just three of their fourteen matches.
The absence of a solid group of raiders eventually added a lot of pressure onto their defense, and they crumbled under that pressure, conceding 438 points through the season.
U Mumba
One look at the raids table and you would have expected Mumbai to be in the final four. The men in orange accumulated a massive 188 successful raids, only eleven behind first placed Pune in this department.
However, the effect of the departure of key defenders was clearly visible on the mat as they conceded 422 points in their 14 matches.
Surjeet had big shoes to fill and found it taxing while veteran Jeeva Kumar had a season to forget. He was picked out on numerous occasions with ease by opposition raiders.
It meant Rakesh Kumar had to play out of position at left corner where he didn’t perform too badly but coach Bhaskaran would have always preferred a specialist left corner than a makeshift one.
Puneri Paltan
In their final league game against Bengaluru Bulls, captain, Manjeet Chhillar scored a record eleven tackle points. His side showed no mercy, pouncing like a pack of wolves every time they sensed an opportunity.
Pune as a team have a successful tackling percentage of 41 %. Only two other teams have crossed the 40 % mark in season four - Patna and Jaipur. The Paltan have conceded a total of 419 points so far this season.
In general, their defensive performances were solid, until captain Manjeet Chhillar had to miss a few games due to injury. That affected their defensive coordination and saw them lose a couple of matches heavily.
Manjeet has been ably supported by Ravinder Pahal – a great comeback for the former Dabang Delhi captain. The right corner has shone throughout the season, and with 35 tackle points, sits only two points behind his captain in the tackling leader board.
Bengaluru Bulls
With two defensive stalwarts in the form of Mohit Chhillar and Surender Nada joining their side, all eyes were on the Bulls in season four. Team chemistry was a huge problem for Bengaluru as they struggled between very good and very bad on the mat.
They managed to produce an impressive fifteen super tackles, but when they had six or more men on the mat, their defence went haywire as there was a visible absence of defined roles when defending as a unit.
It led to some heartless defending which meant they had to settle for fifth position in the table, having conceded 415 points this season.
Dabang Delhi
The capital side had a season to forget, losing nine of their fourteen games. Consistency was a real problem for Delhi. However, they definitely had some positives, one of which was their stellar defensive record.
When it came to executing successful tackles, they were on right up there, collecting an average of eight tackle points every game. By scoring eighteen super tackles, they trailed only Patna in this department.
Left cover, Sachin Shingade, really shone through with thirty-nine tackles to his name, making their defense very tough to breach, as they conceded 410 points in their 14 matches.
It was their raiders who let them down this season.
Patna Pirates
The men in green have been lethal in defence, despite having seen the league’s best defender from last season, Sandeep Narwal, join the Telugu Titans. A large part of this success could be attributed to three men – left corner, Fazel Atrachali, left cover, Bajirao Hodage and captain, Dharmaraj Cheralathan.
Together, they have formed a potent partnership on the mat. Fazel is currently the league’s second best defender, with a massive 41 tackles to his name. The Pirates have defended very well as a unit and in total conceded only 404 points and executed 126 successful tackles in their fourteen league matches.
Captain, Dharmaraj has led his team ably when defending and ensured his side remain title contenders in season four.
Jaipur Pink Panthers
It doesn’t come as a surprise to see the Pink Panthers are back in the semi-finals of Pro Kabaddi League as they have had a brilliant season four.
Their team is testament to the fact that a star raider alone can’t win you matches. The Panthers have a successful tackling percentage of 38. The chief architect of this solidity has been Amit Hooda, who along with his teammates Ran Singh and Rohit Rana has tightened the screws at the back for the Panthers.
Hooda – a twenty-year-old emerging star, continues to maintain top form. He loves a physical battle and will go to any length to secure the elusive defensive point.
The trio worked in unison this season, producing some stunning team tackles, and were a major reason their team conceded only 390 points this season in total.
Telugu Titans
Not many would have expected the Titans to top any list concerned with defending as they’ve always been an attack-minded side. But in season four, the men in yellow shored up their defence and it’s paid handsome dividends.
On an average, Telugu make over ten successful tackles per match, the highest among all eight sides. The trio of Sandeep Narwal, veteran Jasmer Singh Gulia and youngster Sandeep Dhull have been miserly in defence, ensuring their safe passage to the semi-finals.
Telugu have conceded the least number of points, 380, over the course of their 14 matches, a stingy average of 27 points for their opposition per match.
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