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PKL 10 has begun in earnest, with two legs of the tournament almost over. The Ahmedabad leg of Pro Kabaddi 2023 entertained the fans a lot and the action in Bengaluru so far has been quite intense as well.
It is a popular saying in kabaddi that raiders win you matches, but defenders win tournaments. Fans have observed that the teams that became Pro Kabaddi League champions had a solid defense.
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The role of defenders is of utmost importance in the Pro Kabaddi League. If all four defenders of a team are in top form, it becomes almost impossible to defeat that side. Speaking about defenders, here's a list of three such players who can end up scoring the most tackle points in PKL 10.
#3 Ankit, Patna Pirates
Patna Pirates surprised the kabaddi universe when they spent more than ₹30 lakh for a Category D player at the PKL 10 Auction. The player's name was Ankit, and he was listed as an all-rounder on the official website of Pro Kabaddi League.
Everyone was excited to see Ankit on the mat, and Patna Pirates assigned him the important left corner position in defense. The youngster impressed straightaway by scoring a High 5 on debut against Pawan Sehrawat's Telugu Titans. He initiated the tackle on seven occasions, with only two of them being unsuccessful.
Ankit is currently 10th on the PKL 10 leaderboard for defenders, having scoring nine tackle points in three matches. If he maintains his form, the Patna Pirates left corner can end up winning the Best Defender award.
#2 Mohit, Haryana Steelers
Another youngster who has impressed the fans with his performance in the left corner position is Haryana Steelers' left corner Mohit. The rising star of Haryana scored the first High 5 of his PKL career while playing against the Bengaluru Bulls on their home turf.
Mohit tried for nine tackles, with five of them being successful. He shone in Haryana Steelers' win over Dabang Delhi KC as well by earning three tackle points. The youngster has shown promise, and if he continues in the same vein, he can take the Best Defender of the Season award home.
#1 Shubham Shinde, Bengal Warriors
Bengal Warriors' right corner defender Shubham Shinde stunned the fans by scoring 11 tackle points against the Tamil Thalaivas. He earned a Double High 5 in that game to jump to the first position on the defenders' leaderboard in PKL 10.
Although Shinde has played only four matches in this season, he has already earned 18 tackle points. The raiders have struggled to get the better of him in this edition of the Pro Kabaddi League so far.
Bengal Warriors' team management would be delighted with the way Shubham Shinde has performed in this season. The Kolkata-based franchise will hope that he wins the Best Defender award.
Apart from Shubham Shinde, Mohit and Ankit, the other defenders who can finish number one on the leaderboard include Surjeet Singh, Sombir, Sumit, Gurdeep and Himmat Antil.
