Pro Kabaddi season 3 has surely witnessed some splendid performances, but one person who stands out and indeed is a treat to watch too is U Mumba’s Fazel Atrachali. In season 3, Fazel stepped into the league in the place of another ace defender, Surender Nada who was on National Duty for South Asian Games 2016.
Playing just five matches in this season, this Iranian-Mumbaikar has stunned the Kabaddi lovers with his ferocious thigh holds, ankle holds, blocks and dashes which have given opposition teams nightmares. Name any defending skill and he will show it to you. Fazel, along with raider Rishank Devadiga had a lion’s share in U Mumba’s five-match winning streak.
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The duo form a lethal combination of attack and defence. Playing in the corners on the mat requires a great amount of coordination with the other corner player. Fazel plays a left corner defender and has excellent synchronization with right corner defender, Mohit Chillar. Together they add another dimension to the Mumba defence.
Almost in every match, Fazel had a 100 percent strike rate. In U Mumba’s recent encounter with Bengal Warriors on 23 February 2016, he again had a 100 percent strike rate with six tackles making a total score of 21 tackle points in just five matches.
It seems like Fazel comes on the mat every night with a determination to break his own record. He is turning out to be a vital addition to the U Mumba team, who are currently third on the Pro Kabaddi league table. Fazel resembles the calmness before a storm, waiting to pounce, like a cheetah on the opposition at the right time and crashing them onto the mat.
Fazel, who captained the Iran National Kabaddi team in Asian Games 2014, has made a place in the hearts of U Mumba and Kabaddi lovers with his forever smiling face and ferocious tackles, earning him the nickname, ‘Smiling Assassin’. All eyes will be on him in the next match, where U Mumba face Bengaluru Bulls on February 25.
