'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Week 1 of the fourth season of Pro Kabaddi League saw teams contesting in the Pune and Jaipur leg. Puneri Paltan, U Mumba and Patna Pirates ended up being the most successful teams as they now stand first, second and third in the table respectively.
Pune currently lead with 19 points in 5 matches, followed by U Mumba with 16 points in 5 matches and defending champions Patna in third with 15 points from just 3 matches, as they have won all their engagements and are looking good to have another great season this time.
There were some exemplary performances by players who gave their all on the court for the sole purpose of getting their teams the all-important win.
The continuous protection offered by defenders helps raiders go and get more points for their particular teams, just like how the continuous protection offered by Castrol Activ’s Actibonds help protect the bike engine even when it is off.
Defenders made life difficult for raiders as most of the matches went down to the wire. Let us now take a look at the 5 most successful defenders of week 1:
Sachin Shingade - Dabang Delhi
Sachin Shingade has been the most successful defender of week 1 as he has had 16 successful tackles to his name, starting all 4 matches for Delhi, with an average of 4 tackles per match.
Thanks to his defensive prowess, Delhi sit in the 5th position in the table with 9 points. Shingade had a relatively quiet game in their opening match which they lost to Bengal Warriors 31-23, as he had just one successful tackle in the match.
He bounced back in the next game against Pune and had 5 tackle points in the match, which included a super tackle. He had a lot of influence in the low scoring match which had a nailbiting end, in which he made sure his team did not lose.
He again had a great game against U Mumba as he collected 5 tackle points in the match, though his team lost 27-25. Delhi’s fourth match against Bengaluru Bulls which they won 32-24 saw Shingade’s best performance in the season so far, as he collected 7 crucial tackle points for his team, which included another super tackle.
Manjeet Chhillar - Puneri Paltan
Pune have been the most consistent team this season so far, as they sit comfortably at the top of the table, and a lot of credit for that goes to their captain Manjeet Chhillar. Manjeet has made 15 successful tackles in 5 matches and has dominated raiders whenever they have come to collect points for their teams.
The first match saw him collect 5 tackle points as Pune beat Telugu Titans 28-24. In the second match of the season, his leadership skills shone through as he led from the front, with 2 crucial tackle points for his team, as well as 5 raid points which showed his all-round capabilities.
Pune’s third match, which they lost 30-24 to Patna Pirates was not a great game for him, as he could only collect 2 tackle points in the match. The next match for Pune against Dabangg Delhi was a tie (27-27) and Manjeet collected one tackle point, but had 6 raid points to his name.
Their last match of the week against Jaipur saw them emerging victorious as Manjeet again had a great game on the defensive front, as he collected 5 tackle points for his team and ensured their win.
Ravinder Pahal - Puneri Paltan
Ravinder Pahal is also an integral factor to Pune’s dominance this season, as he has been one of their cornerstones in defense. Pahal sits third in the list of top defenders after week 1 with 14 points.
He gave able support to his captain in Pune’s first match against Telugu Titans which they won 28-24, as he collected 3 tackle points in the match.
He had 2 crucial tackle points to his name in Pune’s second match against U Mumba, which was one of the most one-sided matches of the league this season as they won 41-19.
The third match which was a loss for Pune against Patna saw him collect 3 tackle points for his team, as he had a solid, not flashy, performance.
The fourth match which was a draw against Delhi saw him have a quiet game as he had just one tackle point to his name but the last match of the week, against Jaipur Pink Panthers, a 33-28 win for the Paltan, saw his best performance thus far, as he collected 5 tackle points in the match.
Girish Maruti Ernak- Bengal Warriors
Girish Maruti Ernak of Bengal Warriors is a fierce defender who had a good week 1, even though his team did not make much of an impact in the 4 matches they played as they languish in the 7th position with 7 points to their name.
Girish, however, is fourth in the list of top defenders with 13 tackle points. He has a solid 3.25 tackles/ game to his name, but his efforts could not make much of a difference in the Warriors’ fortunes as they could win just one game s far.
He had 3 successful tackles in the first two games of the season for Bengal Warriors, 4 tackle points in the third game against Jaipur which Bengal almost managed to win, and the fourth match of the season for Bengal saw him collect 3 tackle points in a losing effort against U Mumba.
Rakesh Kumar - U Mumba
Rakesh Kumar has been one of the mainstays in Mumbai’s defence after the departure of their star defenders Mohit Chhillar, Surender Nada and Fazel Atrachali and has made sure the defence isn’t showing a lot of weakness. He has 11 successful tackles to his credit as Mumbai are second in the table with 16 points in 5 matches after week 1.
Rakesh also has the most number of super tackles among all defenders (3) which shows his defensive capabilities. He has a successful tackle percentage of 55, and has an average of 2.2 tackles per match.
The experienced professional helped Mumbai beat Jaipur in their first match of the Season as they won 36-34, and he had one super tackle in the game. He carried his form into the next match which went down to the wire as Mumbai lost 36-34 against Patna Pirates, and he had another super tackle in the match.
So far, he’s used his experience and power to great advantage to stop raiders in their tracks, as Mumbai continue working on their dreams to become two-time champions, continuing their run as the most consistent team in the league.
For more great Kabaddi action and a chance to win PKL tickets, visit the Castrol page on Sportskeeda here.
