3 players with the most wins as captain in the Pro Kabaddi League history ft. Fazel Atrachali
Besides leading their teams from the front, PKL team captains also fight for personal achievements, such as being the player with the most wins as captain in the Pro Kabaddi League history.
With the PKL Season 11 auctions taking place on August 15 and 16, fans will wait with bated breath to see their new captains for the upcoming season, and what they will bring to the table for a title challenge.
As the PKL season 11 approaches its start, let’s take a look at the players with most wins as captain in the Pro Kabaddi League history.
#1 Fazel Atrachali – 70 wins
Iranian kabaddi legend Fazel Atrachali, other than being one of the best defenders in the league with 486 tackle points, is also one of the players with the most wins as captain in the Pro Kabaddi League history.
Atrachali, who made his PKL debut in the second season of the PKL, had captained several franchises including U Mumba, Puneri Paltan, and most recently, the Gujarat Giants.
Fazel Atrachali became the player with the most wins (70) as captain in the Pro Kabaddi League history after he led the Gujarat Giants to a playoff finish last season. Now that he has been acquired by the Bengal Warriorz for a sum of Rs. 50 lakh, Atrachali will hope to stake a claim for captaincy in his new team as well.
#2 Sunil Kumar – 65 wins
Sunil Kumar, another defender who went for big money in PKL Season 11 auctions, has also been one of the players with the most wins (65) as captain in the Pro Kabaddi league for some time now. The 27-year-old right defender led his former franchise – Jaipur Pink Panthers – to the PKL trophy in Season 9, accumulating 82 points.
Sunil Kumar will represent U Mumba in Season 11 of the PKL after the Mumbai-based franchise spent Rs. 1.015 crore to acquire his services. The Haryana-born player will look to continue his hot streak at the helm with another title challenge for his new team.
#3 Anup Kumar - 52 wins
Former Indian kabaddi player Anup Kumar was one of the premier stars of the PKL, as the former national team captain led his first team U Mumba to the final in the first season before clinching the PKL trophy in Season 2.
The raider led his team from the front, winning the Most Valuable Player award in Season 1. With 52 wins, he stands third in the tally of PKL players with most wins as captain in the Pro Kabaddi League.
Season 3 saw Anup retain his magic touch, as the Mumbas reached a third consecutive final under his helm. However, Anup Kumar’s form dipped from the fourth season onwards, and he was released after two lukewarm seasons.
The raider was then picked up by the Jaipur Pink Panthers, who reinstated him as captain. But Anup Kumar failed to rediscover his form and retired from the sport midway in Season 6. Interestingly, he then went on to coach Puneri Paltan, where he trained Fazel Atrachali, who would later break his record for being the player with the most wins as captain in the Pro Kabaddi League history.