Kabaddi
Who are the most successful players in PKL history?
As the fans wait for the PKL 2021 to start, we take a look at some of the best players in the league's history.
Ever since its inception in the year 2014, the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has seen a lot of heroic performances by some of the best players in the world. Be it on the offence or defence, the fans have been treated with some unreal action on the court during the past 7 seasons.
Now as the fans anxiously wait for the eighth season of the PKL to start after a gap of almost one year, here we take a look at some of the best players in the league's history.
Raiders
Pardeep Narwal
Who else if not Pardeep Narwal? The 24-year-old from Sonepat has scored a whopping 1160 raid points in the PKL. One of the mainstays during Patna Pirates' domination in the league, the 'dubki king' Pardeep Narwal will be now seen donning the maroon of UP Yoddhas.
Rahul Chaudhari
With 955 raid points against his name, Rahul Chaudhari is the distant second-best raider in the history of PKL. Born in the city of Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, Chaudhari started his PKL career with the Telugu Titans before moving to the Tamil Thalaivas and will now be seen representing the Puneri Paltans in PKL 8.
Deepak Hooda
The captain of the Indian Kabaddi Team, Deepak Niwas Hooda, is the third most successful raider in PKL. Having played for three teams in the PKL – Telugu Titans, Puneri Paltan and Jaipur Pink Panthers, Hooda has collected a total of 856 raid points.
Defenders
Manjeet Chillar
An Arjuna Awardee for his excellence in Kabaddi, Manjeet Chillar is considered to be one of the best ever players to have been produced by India. The 35-year-old started his PKL career with the Bengaluru Bulls before moving to the Puneri Paltans, Jaipur Pink Panthers and Tamil Thalaivas. The veteran has pocketed a total of 339 defensive points and will be seen playing for Dabang Delhi in PKL 2021.
Ravinder Pahal
A defender who prefers the right corner of the court, Ravinder Pahal has collected a total of 326 points in the PKL. Pahal entered into the PKL with Dabang Delhi, moved to Puneri Paltan, Bengaluru Bulls before returning to the Delhi based franchise in 2018. He will now be seen competing for the Gujarat Fortunegiants in PKL 2021.
Fazel Atrachali
The only foreigner in the top 3 scorers in PKL, Fazel Atrachali has a total of 317 defensive points against his name. Hailing from Iran, Atrachali started off his PKL stint with U Mumba before moving to Patna Pirates, Gujarat Fortunegiants for season 4 and 5. He returned to U Mumba in season 6 and has been one of their lead players, even donning the captain's armband at times.
All Rounders
Deepak Hooda
Apart from being one of the most successful raiders in PKL, Deepak Niwas Hooda also holds the distinction of being the best all-rounder of the league. To go with 856 raid points Hooda also has 87 tackle points, making him the most successful all-rounder of the league.
Manjeet Chillar
The veteran Manjeet Chillar is the second most successful all-rounder in PKL history. He has pocketed a whopping 224 raid points to go with his 339 tackle points taking his points tally in the PKL to 563.
Sandeep Narwal
Sandeep Narwal is the third most successful all-rounder in PKL. He has pocketed a total of 559 points in the league, including 310 tackle points and 249 raid points. Narwal started off his PKL journey with the Patna Pirates before moving to Telugu Titans, Puneri Paltans and U Mumba. The 28-year-old has once again shifted base for the 2021 season and will be seen in the camp of Dabang Delhi.
