Nitin Tomar names Fazel Atrachali as the toughest defender in PKL
Ace Indian raider Nitin Tomar appeared on Pro Kabaddi's Instagram series 'Beyond The Mat - Season II,' where he participated in a rapid-fire round. The show's host asked him to name the most uncompromising defender in PKL right now, and without taking much time to think, the Puneri Paltan star took Fazel Atrachali's name.
Nitin Tomar has been an integral part of the PKL since the tournament's third edition. He started his PKL journey with the Bengal Warriors, and in the last four seasons, he has played for UP Yoddha and Puneri Paltan.
The running hand-touch specialist has played 68 matches in his PKL career, scoring 442 raid points at an average of 6.5. Nitin Tomar has also shown off his tackling skills on the mat by executing three Super Tackles in his career.
Apart from picking U Mumba skipper Fazel Atrachali as his most challenging opponent, Tomar said that the matches against the Mumbai-based PKL franchise had been the toughest for him.
The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup winner also named Sushil Kumar and Bajrang Punia as his favorite sportspersons outside the kabaddi world.
How Fazel Atrachali and Nitin Tomar have dominated their opponents in PKL
Fazel Atrachali has been the most successful overseas defender in PKL history. The Iranian player is one of the only two players to have won the Best Defender award multiple times.
He plays at the left corner position and Nitin Tomar loves to score points in that region. The two players had faced off in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup final.
Besides, they also had an exciting contest in Season 5 when UP Yoddha battled the Gujarat Fortune Giants in Sonepat. The interzonal match had ended in a tie, with the two sides scoring 30 points each. Nitin Tomar led his team from the front by scoring eight points whereas Atrachali managed only two tackle points.
Looking at their fantastic records in the PKL, it goes without saying that these two players have ruled their respective departments.