Finest of Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 9- Top 3 Defenders, Raiders
With the completion of the league stage of PKL Season 9, a focus is on the best defenders and best raiders of the season.
The Vivo Pro Kabaddi League, scheduled from October 7, 2022, to December 17, 2022, unearthed some unique talents and brought many youngsters to the forefront. With the completion of the league stage of PKL Season 9, let's throw the spotlight on the best defenders and best raiders of this season.
Best Raiders- Group Stage
#1 Arjun Deshwal
The 23-year-old star, Arjun, who entered the PKL in Season 6 through the U-Mumba team, transferred to the Pink Panthers last season and has been irreplaceable ever since. With 286 total points, a handsome not-out and a successful raid percentage, Arjun is a natural chart-topper.
| S.No. | Particulars | Stats / Figures |
| 1 | Average Raid Points per Match | 13 |
| 2 | Total Raids | 432 |
| 3 | Successful Raids % | 53% |
| 4 | No. of Super Raids | 7 |
| 5 | Super 10s | 17 |
| 6 | Total Raid Points | 286 |
#2 Bharat Naresh
Bharat is currently playing his second season of PKL. Running hand touch remains his signature move, as he became the second player this season to cross the 250-point mark. This aggressive raider, who plays from both the left and right sides of the court, came to the forefront after his immaculate performance in the K7 Kabaddi League.
Player Stats:
Matches Played: 21; Total Points Earned: 260; Not-Out Rate: 72.85%
| S.No. | Particulars | Stats / Figures |
| 1 | Avg. Raid Points per Match | 12.24 |
| 2 | Total Raids | 361 |
| 3 | Successful Raids % | 57% |
| 4 | No. of Super Raids | 11 |
| 5 | Super 10s | 15 |
| 6 | Total Raid Points | 257 |
| 7 | Total Tackles | 17 |
| 8 | Total Tackle Points | 3 |
| 9 | Tackle Success Rate | 18% |
#3 Naveen Kumar Goyat
Having played for the Dabang Delhi K.C. for the fourth consecutive season, Naveen has continued to be a dependable raider for the team. His speedy raiding and consistency have helped him earn the title "Naveen Express." He was the fastest player to reach 600 points in the history of the league. He was integral to the team lifting the trophy last season and was awarded the "Most Valuable Player" as well.
Player Stats:
Matches Played: 22; Total Points Earned: 250; Not-Out Rate: 79.62%
| S.No. | Particulars | Stats / Figure |
| 1 | Avg. Raid Points per Match | 11.18 |
| 2 | Total Raids | 422 |
| 3 | Successful Raids % | 49% |
| 4 | No. of Super Raids | 3 |
| 5 | Super 10s | 16 |
| 6 | Total Raid Points | 246 |
| 7 | No. of Super Tackles | 1 |
| 8 | Total Tackles / Tackle Points | 9 / 4 |
| 9 | Tackle Success Rate | 33% |
Season Stats:
| S.No. | Name | Position | Team | Matches Played | Raid Points |
| 1 | Arjun Deshwal | Raider | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 22 | 286 |
| 2 | Bharat | Raider | Bengaluru Bulls | 21 | 257 |
| 3 | Naveen Kumar | Raider | Dabang Delhi K.C. | 22 | 246 |
#1 Mohammadreza Chiyaneh
Mohammadreza Chiyaneh (Credits: Pritish Raj/ The Bridge)
The Iranian Kabaddi all-rounder has topped the tackle points table at the end of the league stage. His signature move remains the thigh block and is equally strong in both offence and defence in Kabaddi.
Player Stats:
Matches Played: 20; Total Points Earned: 89; Not-Out Rate: 85%
| S.No. | Particular | Stats/ Figure |
| 1 | Total Raids | 20 |
| 2 | Successful Raids % | 20% |
| 3 | No. of Super Tackles | 10 |
| 4 | High 5s | 6 |
| 5 | Total Tackle Points | 84 |
| 6 | Total Tackles | 133 |
| 7 | Avg. Successful Tackles / Match | 4.2 |
| 8 | Tackle Success Rate | 56% |
#2 Ankush Rathee
Ankush, known for his supreme defence skills and iron-clad grip hails from Chandigarh and caught the attention of the Panthers when he emerged as the best defender in the 67th Senior Nationals and while winning the All India Kabaddi Championship while representing ONGC. He went on to become the first player of the season to cross the 70-point mark and get seven high 5s.
Player Stats
Matches Played: 22; Total Points Earned: 81;
| S.No. | Particulars | Stats / Figure |
| 1 | No. of Super Tackles | 4 |
| 2 | High 5s | 8 |
| 3 | Total Tackle Points | 81 |
| 4 | Avg. Successful Tackles / Match | 3.68 |
| 5 | Total Tackles | 124 |
| 6 | Tackle Success Rate | 62% |
#3 Saurabh Nandal
Saurabh Nandal has been with the Bengaluru Bulls for three seasons, having made his debut in 2019. He topped the charts last season and was the best defender. He has continued to impress with his performance this season too.
Player Stats
Matches Played: 21; Total Points Earned: 62; Not-Out Rate: 100%
| S.No. | Particulars | Stats / Figures |
| 1 | Total Raids | 2 |
| 2 | Successful Raids % | 50% |
| 3 | No. of Super Tackles | 3 |
| 4 | High 5s | 2 |
| 5 | Total Tackle Points | 61 |
| 6 | Total Tackles | 123 |
| 7 | Avg. Successful Tackles / Match | 2.9 |
| 8 | Tackle Success Rate | 47% |
Season Stats:
| S.No. | Name | Position | Team | Matches Played | Tackle Points |
| 1 | Mohammadreza Chiyaneh | All-Rounder | Patna Pirates | 20 | 84 |
| 2 | Ankush | Defender- Left Corner | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 22 | 81 |
| 3 | Saurabh Nandal | Defender- Left Corner | Bengaluru Bulls | 22 | 63 |
*All Stats and figures were updated after the league stage completion on 10/12/2022*
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