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Kabaddi has brought a lot of changes in the game. Since the inception of PKL in 2014, Many experiments and new techniques have taken birth during its history. One such change has been the advent of all-rounders in the game.
All-rounders are players which bring balance to a team and allow teams to field an extra raider or extra defender as per need.
An All-rounder is perhaps the most important player in a team. The transition that he needs to go while defending to attacking within minutes is mind-blowing.
They are not the highest scoring members of the team but are the utility members which a team cannot afford to miss out.
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Let us take a look at top 5 all-rounders in the history of PKL:
Note: This post has considered only those players as all-rounders who have at least scored 50 tackles point and 100 raid points.
#5 Meraj Sheykh
In a sport dominated by Indian players, Meraj Sheykh was probably the first Iranian player to leave a lasting impact in the league. Master of spectacular defending as well as attacking skills, Meraj won many hearts in season two.
His adventurous raiding and solid defending became the talking point of season 2 of PKL. In the process, he also became a first foreign player to captain a franchise, when he took the honours with Telugu Titans.
The 30-year-old Iranian dynamo was adjudged the best all-rounder of season five.
His signature move scorpion Kick is the epitome of agility and flexibility.
Meraj has featured in 69 games scoring 236 raid points along with 52 defence point making him an undroppable entity.
#4 Rajesh Narwal
Rajesh Narwal is one of the most seasoned all-rounders in the Indian Kabaddi circle. Along with Manjeet Chillar, he has been the flag bearer of Indian all-rounders for a better part of a decade now.
He uses his experience to the maximum effect during a match. He has developed a deep understanding of the game and always performs as per the need of the team. He was the mainstay of Jaipur Pink Panthers for first four seasons before moving to UP Yoddhas.
The Haryana all-rounder keeps it simple yet effective moves on the mat. He signature move running hand touch is the most simple yet most effective raiding move in the game of kabaddi.
He has scored 104 points in defence and 282 points in raiding. He was second highest scoring all-rounder in season two and season three whereas was adjudged the best all-rounder in season 4.
#3 Sandeep Narwal
Sandeep Narwal has 234 tackle points along with 206 raid points. With a total of 440 points, he stands at number 10 of players with highest points list. He is a rare combination of speed and agility with brute strength.
His pace and unexpected moves make his raids unpredictable and hence, almost impossible to intercept. Also, his tremendous strength along with grit make him a solid defender.
He started his career as a pure corner defender and worked very hard on his raiding to become a capable all-rounder. His signature move block testifies his strength. Also, his leadership capabilities prove an added advantage for any team.
#2 Manjeet Chillar
Many theorists believe that kabaddi is a game made for tall players if you are a raider. Well, all those theories were shattered when a 5ft 6inches ex-wrestler was spotted during the Asian Games in 2010. His name was Manjeet Chillar.
Manjeet who was a professional wrestler. Though, due to an injury, he had to give up on his career and switch to Kabaddi.
Nicknamed 'one man army' due to his versatile skills in raiding and defence he possesses an immense amount of strength. He has been a flag-bearer of all the all-rounders around the world.
He started his PKL career with Bengaluru Bulls. He was voted the most valuable player in season two. He is known for keeping a calm mind during games and is a natural leader. Along with being a rock in defence, he is also known for making useful raids.
He has 216 raid points along with 275 tackle points. His signature move is 'block'.
1.Depaak Niwas Hooda:
Deepak Nivas Hooda first came into limelight when he won the gold at 2014 Senior National Kabaddi Championship held in Patna.
Playing for Haryana, he bagged all the headlines due to his all-around abilities. He was bought by Telugu Titans in the first auction of PKL for 12.5 lakhs.
Even after an above average performance in the first two seasons, he could still never make a mark for himself as he always played under the shadow of Rahul Chaudhari.
He moved to Puneri Paltans in season three and, this is where he proved his mettle as an all-rounder.
His rise in PKL has been nothing short of meteoric. In season three onwards he has been the leading figure in mostly all score charts.
He has also shown a capability to cope under pressure leading the 'do or die raid points' in season 5.
Though his raiding heroics pushed his defence on the back seat, still he has proven his ability to defend time and again.
With 577 raid points and 70 tackle points, he is miles ahead of his nearest competitor. His signature move is running hand touch.
