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PKL 2023 will start next month in Ahmedabad. It will be the 10th edition of the Pro Kabaddi League, and fans would have observed that the teams with a strong defense generally perform well in the PKL. It is said that raiders win you matches, but defenders help the team win tournaments.
The majority of the champion squads in PKL history had a solid defense. Hence, it was not surprising to see teams spending big on defenders at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction, which was held last month in Mumbai.
Before the 10th season of the Pro Kabaddi League starts, in this listicle, we will look at the top five defensive combinations to watch out for.
#1 Fazel Atrachali and Sombir Gulia - Gujarat Giants
Two-time runners-up Gujarat Giants have assembled a stellar defense for the upcoming PKL season. The Giants re-signed Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali for the first time since Season 5. They also roped in former Puneri Paltan defender Sombir Gulia.
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The duo of Atrachali and Gulia will likely take the corner positions in the Gujarat Giants' starting seven. Atrachali is the all-time leading tackle points scorer in the PKL, while Gulia has recorded nine High 5s in his career. They have a ton of experience under their belt, which is why they can help the Ahmedabad-based franchise win their maiden PKL title this year.
#2 Girish Ernak, Mahender Singh, Surinder Singh and Rinku HC - U Mumba
Season 2 champions U Mumba retained Surinder Singh before the auction. They roped in his cover partner from Himachal Pradesh, Mahender Singh, at the PKL 2023 Auction.
To further strengthen the defense, the Mumbai-based franchise signed veteran left corner defender Girish Ernak, who will form a pair with right corner defender Rinku HC. Ernak has earned 359 tackle points in his career, while Rinku scored 59 points last season. U Mumba's defensive lineup looks quite strong on paper.
#3 Sagar Rathee and Sahil Gulia - Tamil Thalaivas
Tamil Thalaivas qualified for the playoffs for the first time in PKL history last season. Their defense played a big role in their success, with the corner duo of Sagar Rathee and Sahil Gulia performing consistently.
Rathee earned 53 points in 17 games, while Gulia finished with 57 points. The Thalaivas unsurprisingly retained their corner duo for PKL 2023. It will be interesting to see if they can continue in the same vein.
#4 Mohammadreza Shadlou, Abinesh Nadarajan, Gaurav Khatri and Sanket Sawant - Puneri Paltan
Puneri Paltan went all out for Mohammadreza Shadlou at the PKL 2023 Auction and signed the all-rounder for ₹2.35 crore. Shadlou has been the top defender in the last two PKL seasons. They already had right cover defender Abinesh Nadarajan, left cover Sanket Sawant and right corner Gaurav Khatri in the squad.
Pune's all-rounders Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat can also contribute a bit to the defense. All eyes will be on the Pune defense whenever the Paltan play their matches in PKL 2023.
#5 Jaideep Dahiya and Mohit Nandal - Haryana Steelers
The pair of Jaideep Dahiya and Mohit Nandal has been one of the most successful cover duos in PKL's recent past. They have been with the Haryana Steelers for quite some time now.
Dahiya has earned 120 tackle points in 43 matches, while Nandal has scored 86 tackle points in the same number of games. Raiders have found it quite difficult to score points against this duo. They will be keen to continue in the same vein in PKL 2023.
