Top 5 Kabaddi players of 2016

#5 Fazel Atrachali – Iran and Patna Pirates

Fazel Atrachali is the only foreign player who makes the cut in a list dominated by Indians.

The “Smiling Assassin” from the land of Iran. Fazel Atrachali is a defender who rarely makes a reckless move, and when he commits to a tackle, it is with an iron grip on the approaching raiders. In Pro Kabaddi’s season 3, he played second fiddle to Surender Nada initially but then when Nada was unavailable due to international commitments or injury concerns; Fazel made the left corner his very own.

Rising every bit to the given opportunity, he finished the season with a superb tackle conversion rate of 69.7%. In the next edition of Pro Kabaddi, he switched over to Patna Pirates outfit and went on score a mammoth total of 52 tackle points, the maximum for any player in season 4 and earned himself the Best Defender award.

Such performances wherein he showcased everything from ferocious ankle and thigh holds and strong dashes across the mat made him a household name in India, and he was a player to watch out for at the World Cup in October. True to his reputation and stature, he led his Iran’s defensive charge and finished the tournament with 21 successful tackles, ending up second on the leaderboard just behind Surjeet.