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Pro Kabaddi 2024 will begin in less than 24 hours in Hyderabad. Apart from Hyderabad, this year's PKL league games will take place in Noida and Bengaluru.
12 teams will compete for the prestigious Pro Kabaddi championship. Puneri Paltan will enter the competition as the defending champions. One of the major reasons why Pune won the PKL tournament last season was their rock solid defense. Their defenders performed well as a unit consistently, leading to the team's title win.
Defense plays a big role in any PKL team's success, which is why quality defenders are always in demand at the auction. With a new PKL season set to begin soon, here's a list of five defenders to watch out for in Pro Kabaddi 2024.
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#1 Krishan Dhull, Telugu Titans
Krishan Dhull was the best Indian defender of PKL season 10. Playing in the right corner position for the Patna Pirates, Krishan scored 78 tackle points in 24 matches. Notably, he registered six High 5s and executed five super tackles during the tournament.
Despite his excellent performance, Krishan was not retained by the Pirates. He entered the auction pool, where he earned a deal from the Telugu Titans. It will be exciting to see if Krishan can replicate his PKL 10 performance in the Titans jersey.
#2 Yogesh Dahiya, Dabang Delhi KC
Before PKL 10 began, the then Dabang Delhi KC coach Rambir Singh Khokar exclusively told Sportskeeda that his team's new defender Yogesh Dahiya would be among the Top 3 defenders of the season. His prediction proved to be correct as Yogesh attained the third position with 74 tackle points in 23 matches.
Unsurprisingly, Dabang Delhi KC have retained Yogesh as their right corner defender for season 11. The rising star will be keen to better his previous performance and win the Best Defender award this season.
#3 Shubham Shinde, Patna Pirates
Another right corner defender to feature on the list is Shubham Shinde. He was the main defender of the Bengal Warriorz side last season. Playing in 22 matches for Bengal, Shinde earned 62 tackle points.
Patna Pirates signed Shinde at this year's auction and even appointed him as their skipper. PKL fans are excited to see if Shinde can handle the responsibility of leadership and lead the Pirates from the front in season 11.
#4 Fazel Atrachali, Bengal Warriorz
Left corner defender Fazel Atrachali has moved from Gujarat Giants to Bengal Warriorz ahead of Pro Kabaddi 2024. Atrachali had a decent season with the Giants last season, where he scored 62 tackle points in 23 matches.
Gujarat coach Ram Mehar Singh opined that Atrachali was not as agile as he once was, which is why he released him. Bengal have shown faith in Atrachali's services for PKL 11, and the Sultan will aim to prove his former team's coach wrong now.
#5 Mahender Singh, UP Yoddhas
Mahender Singh is one of the most aggressive defenders in the Pro Kabaddi League. He won the championship with the Bengaluru Bulls in season six. However, last season, he had an ordinary stint with U Mumba, where he managed 31 tackle points in 16 matches.
Considering the experience that Mahender has, UP Yoddhas signed him at the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction for ₹21.40 lakh. The senior left cover defender will try to repay the faith shown by the Yoddhas and justify his price tag in PKL 11.
