Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Top 5 defenders from Nagpur leg

The Nagpur leg of Pro Kabaddi League 2017 is done and dusted after producing six days of exhilarating kabaddi action. The high-quality kabaddi augurs well for the organizers who are experimenting this year with a much longer season. In fact, it’s the quality on display that has maintained the interest of the fans even in the second week of the league.

As always, the names like Rohit Kumar, Jang Kun Lee and Pardeep Narwal dominated the headlines. However, the inability of some star raiders to inspire their teams to victory despite spectacular individual performances once again underlined the fact that the game belongs to defenders.

Time and again we have witnessed how a weak defensive unit can undo all the good work done by the team's raiders. Bengaluru Bulls captain Rohit Kumar suffered the most from this as his defense failed to replicate his heroics in the raiding department, and as a result often ended up finishing the match with a result they wouldn’t have liked.

Unlike raiding, defense is completely a combined effort more often than not. Yet some names have particularly stood out with clinical showings in the defense department. 5 of the best defenders of the Nagpur leg are:

#1 Ravinder Pahal

Pahal hasn't found much support except for young Mahender in the Bulls ranks

In the previous seasons, Pahal made his name defending for a team that hardly ever threatened to make any impact with its raiding. But subsequent seasons saw his form taper off and his menacing thigh and ankle holds became a part of the folklore of starting days of Pro Kabaddi. However, if his performances in the Nagpur leg are anything to go by, the Pahal of old seems to have returned, much to the joy of the Bulls setup. Not only the swagger of yore is back but also the penchant for taking down raiders with the trademark double ankle hold.

He has cemented his place in the right corner for the franchise this season and can often be seen being targeted by the raider, underlining his place of importance in the Bulls line of defence. He might not be leading the charts with 16 tackle points from 6 games to show against his name but his graph is moving rapidly in the right direction and some scintillating performances appear to be around the corner from Binda.

#2 Mohit Chhillar

Chhillar is back and prospering again in the company of his ex U Mumba teammate Surender Nada

Like Pahal, another big defender whose stocks fell last season after a sub-par season with the Bengaluru Bulls was Mohit Chhillar. And just like Pahal, Chhillar also seems to be on a comeback trail. He produced a vintage performance for the Haryana Steelers against Gujarat Fortunegiants on Tuesday in the presence of his old friend Surender Nada, who is these days handling captaincy duties for the team.

Chhillar’s performance stood head and shoulders above anyone in the match and brought back memories of the nightmare that the Chhillar-Nada pair used to be during their time at U Mumba. In the absence of any star names in their raiding department, the team will rely heavily on the jodi to keep their campaign afloat in the future legs of the tournament.

#3 Vishal Bharadwaj

The youngster currently sits at the top of most defence points table

The find of Pro Kabaddi League Season 5 so far is clearly the baby faced Vishal Bhardwaj. He lacks the brawn to intimidate raiders but he does possess a brain that he puts to great use, as has been evident in all the 7 games he has featured in for the Telugu Titans' franchise. What's more gladdening about Bhardwaj's game is his attitude. There is not a bone in his body that doesn't give 100% at any stage of the match, no matter how badly the odds might be stacked against his team.

When the Titans propounded their youth first philosophy after the auctions, they must have had someone like Bhardwaj in their mind. He has done extremely well to not lose his nerves even when he hasn't got support from his fellow defenders. With 19 tackle points in just 7 matches, he has made everyone sit down and take notice.

#4 Mahender Singh

Although he started off in a bright fashion, off late Mahender's performances have left a lot to be desired

Another newbie on the PKL stage like Vishal Bhardwaj, Mahender is also making a name for himself slowly and steadily. Slow off the blocks generally, Singh has stood up on occasions when Pahal has failed to deliver for the Bulls. While his numbers may not be as impressive as Bhardwaj's, he has time and again provided glimpses of what he is capable of with match turning tackles. Mahender's game is quite uncomplicated. He goes for it when his instincts tell him to and that, in a way, also explain his not so good numbers. But in following his instincts, he repeatedly has produced some magical moments in the defence for his team.

However, the lack of consistency in producing those moments has hurt the Bulls also. With a back in form Ravinder Pahal, the Bulls management would hope that Mahender can form a solid defensive partnership with the 'Hawk' and strengthen the team's defence. These are early days in the tournament and the onus lies on the youngster to keep his rhythm and fitness going well into the final stage of the tournament.

#5 Manjeet Chhillar

Manjeet Chhillar is also captaining the Jaipur side this season

Although Manjeet Chhillar just appeared in only one game of the Nagpur leg and that too on the last evening, it is impossible to create a list of best defenders from the leg and not include him after his stunning effort against Puneri Paltan in the team's first win this season.

The Paltan had looked formidable in their previous outings and benefited greatly from Deepak Niwas Hooda, Rajesh Mondal and Sandeep Narwal's good form. But on Thursday evening, one man took care of all of them - Manjeet Chhillar. He brought all his experience to the fore and kept on winning his personal duels with Sandeep Narwal apart from bringing down other Paltan raiders as well.

He finished the match with seven tackle points, just as many as Mohit Chhillar had accrued the other night. However, the true all rounder that he is, he also brought home two raid points that took his kitty to nine and helped Pink Panthers open their account in the Season 5 of PKL. In the match, Chhillar also became the first player in the league's history to breach the 200 tackle points mark.