Pro Kabaddi League: Top 3 defenders of all time
Legendary Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson once said, "Attack wins you matches, defence wins you titles".
The statement came in with respect of football. Though, Iran's triumph in Asian Games 2018 proved that the same concept applies to the game of kabaddi as well. Iran, a team known for their defensive solidity defeated India, a team full of star raiders.
The defence in kabaddi took a swift change after the introduction of Pro Kabaddi League. PKL brought the defenders into the limelight from the wilderness. Players like Iranian Beast Fazel Atrachali became a household name.
PKL changed the life of many defenders of India. There are some defenders however who have stood out of the crowd. These few defenders have mesmerised the world with their exceptional calm and grit. Let us take a look at such top three defenders of PKL:
#3 Surender Nada
When PKL started in 2014, all eyes were on the raiding department. Pre-tournament favourites U Mumba had Indian Vice Captain Anup Kumar, Shabeer Bappu and a young Rishank Devadiga in their raiding department.
Expectations were sky high from the raiding department though, at the end of the season it was the left corner Surender Nada who had bagged all the limelight.
Nada hails from Haryana, the mecca of modern kabaddi. Standing at just over 5ft 9 inches, he is not the most physically strong defender around but, makes up with his speed and agility.
Nada is technically gifted and his signature move, ankle hold, is feared even by the best of Raiders.
After making a lasting impression in U Mumba's team and winning the title in season two, he moved to Bangalore Bulls in season four.
Season five saw him leading the new formed Haryana Franchise, Haryana Steelers. He created a new record in season five when he scored consecutive five super 5's.
Nada has 222 tackle points in the 71 games he has played so far. He also has 19 super 5's which is the second highest in PKL history.
#2 Ravinder Pahal
Dabang Delhi, a team based out of the capital of the country, played miserably in the first two seasons of PKL. Probably, the only silver lining for the franchise was right-corner Ravinder Pahal. Pahal established himself as one of the top right corners of the country.
After an above average season one, season two proved to be a career-defining one. He was the best defender in the same.
A little less than 6ft, Pahal is technically gifted and is always ready to grab the ankle or thighs of an unsuspecting Raider.
Another Haryana lad, Pahal has reached the heights that he is in mostly by being under the radar. Due to the presence of Mohit Chillar and Surender Nada, he has found it difficult to make a permanent spot in the national team for himself.
His talent though has made a mark in PKL. His signature move diving thigh-hold is visually the most delightful move of defence. Pahal has scored 229 points from 75 games.
#1 Mohit Chillar
It is often said that Raider work alone but defence works in partnerships. During the initial seasons of PKL, while Surender Nada was guarding the left corner of U Mumba's defence, Mohit Chillar was marshalling the troops on the right side of the mat. Standing at 5ft 9 inches, Mohit is someone who is known for being a team player instead of depending on individual brilliance.
Skilled in both, dashes and various holds, Chillar complements the other defenders in the perfect sense. A mainstay of Indian World Cup winning squad in 2016, he is a leader in defence. He can perfectly marshal the defence and in an expert in super tackles.
With his signature move Diving Thigh-Hold, the UP defender can make any raider lick the mat. With 17 high 5's the defender has scored 230 points from 85 games.