5 all-rounders who starred for their franchises in Pro Kabaddi 2022
Pro Kabaddi 2022 is in the history books now. In the summit clash on Friday, Dabang Delhi KC defeated Patna Pirates to win their first championship. The Delhi-based franchise edged the Pirates by just one point, winning 37-36. Naveen Kumar and Vijay were the architects of the team's win.
Like in most matches during the season, raiders dominated defenders in the final. During the previous PKL seasons, there were brilliant all-round performances from the likes of Meraj Sheykh, Rohit Gulia, Rajesh Narwal, Rakesh Kumar, Manjeet Chhillar and Deepak Hooda. However, not many players performed well in both departments in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
Deepak Hooda played as a raider for Jaipur Pink Panthers, whereas Manjeet Chillar featured in Dabang Delhi KC's playing seven as a defender. Nevertheless, a few players performed well in both departments during the season. On that note, here's a look at five such players:
#1 Pawan Sehrawat, Bengaluru Bulls
Pawan Sehrawat won the Best Raider of the Tournament award for scoring 304 raid points for Bengaluru Bulls in Pro Kabaddi 2022. The Bulls captain led his team from the front, and also contributed in defence.
Sehrawat was one of the few players to score a Super 10 and a High 5 during the season. He scored 16 tackle points, and executed four super tackles for his team.
#2 Mohit Goyat, Puneri Paltan
Mohit Goyat was one of the finds of the season for Puneri Paltan. The young all-rounder was in the playing seven in Pune's first game, but by the end of the season, he became a regular.
Goyat played 21 games for Pune in PKL 2022, scoring 159 raid points and 28 tackle points. His all-round brilliance played an integral role in Pune's run to the playoffs.
#3 Aslam Inamdar, Puneri Paltan
Another youngster who established himself as a match-winner in Pro Kabaddi 2022 was Puneri Paltan's Aslam Inamdar. The duo of Mohit and Inamdar troubled opposition teams with their all-round skills.
Inamdar scored 169 raid points and 20 tackle points for the Pune-based franchise. He recorded five Super 10s and executed seven super raids as well.
#4 Mohammad Nabibakhsh, Bengal Warriors
Fans had high hopes from Mohammad Nabibakhsh at Pro Kabaddi 2022. However, the Iranian all-rounder could not match his PKL 7 exploits. He was inconsistent, failing to support Maninder Singh in the key games.
Nevertheless, Nabibakhsh managed 89 raid points and 19 tackle points in the season. He scored 4.45 raid points per match, and also executed 0.95 successful tackles per game.
#5 Sandeep Narwal, Dabang Delhi KC
Sandeep Narwal primarily played as a defender for Dabang Delhi KC. However, he stepped up and delivered the goods in the raiding unit when Ajay Thakur and Naveen Kumar were out with injury.
Narwal scored 26 raid points and 38 tackle points during the season. He didn't record a Super 10 or a High 5, but the beasty all-rounder scored points whenever his team needed him to.