Sometimes a defender or a tackler is not given much importance that a raider gets in Kabaddi. But a defender has an equally important role like that of an attacker as he wins tackle points for his team. Tackling a raider and stopping him from escaping to the midline amounts to one tackle point in Kabaddi. Let’s see who are the top 10 defenders in Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) history.
1. Manjeet Chhillar (339 Points)
Tamil Thalaivas star tackler Manjeet Chhillar appears at the top spot in the list of best defenders in the Pro Kabaddi League. This veteran kabaddi player has 339 points against his name. The all-rounder played for quite a few teams in this league before he finally moved to Thalaivas in 2018.
2. Ravinder Pahal (326 Points)
Dabang Delhi K.C. defender Ravinder Pahal has secured 326 tackle points in PKL which is the second-highest in this league. Pahal began his Pro Kabaddi career with Delhi only but moved to Puneri Paltan and Bengaluru Bulls in the following seasons. In 2018, he again finally moved to the Delhi-based franchise.
3. Fazel Atrachali (317 Points)
Iranian player Fazel Atrachali is the best overseas defender in the history of Pro Kabaddi. With 317 points, he has the third-most tackle points in PKL. Atrachali currently plays for U Mumba and is best known for his ability to dash the Opposition’s raiders. Moreover, he’s the sole foreign player to find a place on this list.
4. Sandeep Narwal (310 Points)
Ace all-rounder Sandeep Narwal of U Mumba is one of the best tacklers of all time in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League. Narwal began his PKL journey with Patna Pirates during the inaugural season where he was amongst the most successful all-rounders at the end of the tournament.
5. PO Surjeet Singh (278 Points)
With 278 points, PO Surjeet Singh of Puneri Paltan is the fifth player to enter the list of top tacklers in Pro Kabaddi. Surjeet began his PKL career with U Mumba in 2016 before moving to Bengal Warriors for the next couple of seasons. He is believed to be a master of blocking or dashing raiders.
6. Mohit Chhillar (277 Points)
Mohit Chhillar of Tamil Thalivas has the sixth-highest tackle points in the history of Pro Kabaddi. Chhillar began his PKL career with U Mumba in 2014 and went on to play for Bengaluru Bulls, Haryana Steelers and Jaipur Pink Panthers before finally moving to Thalaivas in the last season.
7. Girish Maruti Ernak (262 Points)
Girish Maruti Ernak is the seventh-highest player with the most tackle points in PKL. Ernak began his Pro Kabaddi stint with Patna Pirates in season one and has been one of the best defenders of this league ever since. He joined Puneri Paltan in season five and still plays for them only.
8. Dharmaraj Cheralathan (259 Points)
With 259 points, Dharmaraj Cheralathan has the highest tackle points for Haryana Steelers in Pro Kabaddi. Dharamraj is a veteran kabaddi player who’s been around this sport for the last two decades now. Before Steelers, he has also played with teams like U Mumba, Puneri Paltan, Bengaluru Bulls etc.
9. Amit Hooda (237 Points)
Jaipur Pink Panthers’ top defender Amit Hooda collected 237 tackle points in his Pro Kabaddi career of 88 matches. Before the Pink Panthers, Hooda was associated with Patna Pirates and later moved to Tamil Thalaivas as well. He is also the only player from Jaipur based franchise to make it to this list.
10. Ran Singh (234 Points)
Tamil Thalaivas’ all-rounder Ran Singh is at the tenth spot in the list of most tackle points by a player in the history of Pro Kabaddi. With 234 points, Singh is an integral part of the Tamil Thalaivas team who sometimes fail to get the deserving recognition owing to the presence of some star faces in the side.
Also Read | Top 10 raiders in Pro Kabaddi League
