One of the best things about Star Sports Pro Kabaddi (PKL) is that it has given an opportunity to many gifted players from outside India to showcase their talent in front of the fans from the country that invented the sport. They have improved by leaps and bounds and have made themselves an integral part of their respective teams, thus further bolstering the fact that the PKL is a global league.
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The fourth installment of the PKL was especially path-breaking as it was the first time a foreigner scooped up one of the coveted post-tournament awards. The brilliant Fazel Atrachali, who helmed the Patna Pirates defense, was quite rightly adjudged the best defender of the season and it would surely inspire other foreign imports to shine in India.
Here’s a look at five of the most impressive foreign players at Star Sports Pro Kabaddi season 4:
5. Abolfazel Maghsodlo – Iran (Patna Pirates)
The least known of the three Iranians playing for the eventual champions Patna Pirates was Abolfazel Maghsodlo. He did not feature in all matches right from the start, but in whatever little time he spent on the mat, he proved himself to be efficient and very useful for the cause of the Pirates.
In the 13 matches that he appeared in, he accumulated 25 points all through raids. With 18 fruitful raids, he scored 2 successful raids per match which is quite commendable for someone who got only limited time during PKL4.
He became an indispensable attacker especially when Patna’s leading raider Pardeep Narwal was rested. Maghsodlo proved his worth in his team’s tie against the Telugu Titans in Delhi. Having to fill in the shoes of Pardeep, the 23-year-old did not falter and performed with gusto, bringing 9 points. Patna, however, went on to lose that match, but not before the Iranian had made his mark.
4. Meraj Sheykh – Iran (Dabang Delhi)
Hailing from the Iranian kabaddi hub of Sistan, Meraj Sheykh always had a natural flair for the sport. Making a smooth transfer from the Telugu Titans to Dabang Delhi this season, he often stood out because of his courageous displays even when the Eagles looked to be in dire straits.
The all-rounder’s stupendous efforts came alive at home when Dabang Delhi took on the eventual champions Patna Pirates. Thanks to his aggressive tactics both in raiding and defending that contributed 11 points, Delhi came close to toppling the mighty Pirates for the second time, but narrowly lost 31-32. His brilliant thinking as a captain prevented his team from getting all out in that contest till the 29th minute.
Before that, the 28-year-old had shown his heroics once again. Against the former champions and PKL4 runners-up Jaipur Pink Panthers, it was his rich haul of 11 points that pushed the team to a respectable 22-24 loss.
He ultimately finished with 63 raid points that put him in the 10th place on the leaderboard – the highest among foreigners.
3. Hadi Oshtorak – Iran (Patna Pirates)
If there was one man in the Patna Pirates defensive unit who crushed the hopes of the Jaipur Pink Panthers during the PKL4 title showdown, then it was the 24-year-old Hadi Oshtorak of Iran. Despite not being a regular right corner defender for the champions, he formed a deadly duo with his fellow countryman Fazel Atrachali and played a key role in Patna’s biggest matches.
If Pardeep Narwal led the attack in the final, it was Hadi who kept the opponents at bay with his ferocious grappling that brought 5 tackle points, including two super tackles. His effective tackling also paid rich dividends during Patna’s semi-final against Puneri Paltan. He came off the bench to deliver four valuable points in defense that also saw him inflicting a brilliant super tackle.
2. Jang Kun Lee – South Korea (Bengal Warriors)
Four seasons are over in PKL and Bengal Warriors’ Jang Kun Lee continues to be their talisman. Ever since he joined the Bengal team in 2014, he has been their most consistent performer.
This season was no exception. A shoulder injury had robbed the 23-year-old raider a chance to play at his full potential in the initial stages of the PKL4, but when he did take the mat, he was nothing short of scintillating. The affable South Korean, who is very popular in the franchise’s home in Kolkata, always plays his best in front of his adoring fans.
Thus it was no surprise when his speed and acrobatics brought his side 13 points twice in the City of Joy, one of which was against then-table toppers Jaipur Pink Panthers. In a battle of two teams placed at opposite ends of the spectrum, Lee inspired his teammates to an unexpected 32-25 win over the former champions that left the crowd spellbound.
Lee’s exceptional skills saw him accounting for 4.45 successful raids per match.
1. Fazel Atrachali – Iran (Patna Pirates)
Patna Pirates and entire PKL4’s most impressive foreign player, was, without a doubt, the inimitable Fazel Atrachali. The Iranian captain picked up from where he had left at U Mumba last season and even outdid his previous performance.
Robust, alert and resourceful, the star grappler was one of the principal reasons why the Patna Pirates were able to defend their Season 3 title. His rigid thigh and ankle holds and an innate ability to choose the right moment to unleash his skills made sure that the green-and-yellow brigade kept a watertight ship at the back.
The left corner specialist Fazel combined perfectly with the captain Dharmaraj Cheralathan in the right corner to wreak havoc on the opponent raiders. His statistics on the leaderboard corroborate it. With 45 tackles, he had the highest percentage of successful tackles among all players with 62.5 per match. His 7 super tackles were what the team needed in order to reign supreme again.
No wonder that the 24-year-old was given the Best Defender of PKL4 award.
