Top 5 Pro Kabaddi League players who are as good in defense as in attack

All-rounders are an invaluable asset for any team and their versatility helps the teams to confidently go for a win against opponents. Pro Kabaddi League has seen many talented all-rounders who have used their skills to keep the opposition guessing and work towards the success of their teams.

Just as Castrol Activ’s Actibonds provide protection to the engine, even when it is off, and help in its smooth functioning, all-rounders help give the team great versatility and structure, helping convert defence into attack smoothly.

They also give more flexibility to the team, and ensure their team emerges victorious at the end of the day. Let us now take a look at 5 best all-rounders in the Pro Kabaddi League:

5) Deepak Niwas Hooda (Puneri Paltan)

Deepak Niwas Hooda is one of the most exciting young talents in PKL. He is considered to be one of the best all-rounders in the league alongside his captain Manjeet Chhillar. Hooda has performed exceptionally well on a consistent basis in the first three seasons of the tournament, having garnered 261 points collectively.

He was retained by Pune with his captain Manjeet, which shows the faith the team has in him. He had scored 69 raid points for his team last season after an injury to Ajay Thakur gave him many opportunities to raid, which gave him a position in the top 10 raiders for Season 3.

Hooda is very good at using the running hand touch to score raid points, and uses his speed and agility to his advantage when he goes for raids. He is also a very capable defender, using the body hold and ankle hold to foil any attempts by the opposition raiders to score points.

He was one of the main reasons for Pune’s third place finish in Season 3, and a lot will depend on this youngster if the team hopes to win the league this season. He is having an excellent season as a raider for Pune, and stands fourth in the list of top raiders with 52 successful raids

4) Rajesh Narwal (Jaipur Pink Panthers)

Rajesh Narwal was a relatively unknown name when he had started playing for Jaipur Pink Panthers, but has now turned into one of the most reliable all-rounders for the side.

Narwal has had consistent performances for Jaipur over the four seasons of PKL, and his brilliant show against Delhi in season 3, where he had collected 19 points (15 raid points and 4 tackle points) is considered to be one of the most memorable performances in the history of PKL.

He shouldered the responsibility as the Panthers’ main raider after an injury to captain Jasvir Singh in Season 3, and had 59 raid points and 18 tackle points to his credit for the side.

As a left raider, he uses the hand touch to score quick raid points, and is very good on the turn which makes it difficult for defenders to pin him down. He is also an excellent defender and uses the thigh hold and dashes to stop raiders from scoring points.

He has 6 super tackles to his name across the first three seasons of the tournament. He has been the best raider for Jaipur this season with 35 successful raids to his name which gives him the sixth position in the list of top raiders.

As a defender, he has ensured the solidity of the Panthers’ defence and has perfectly coordinated with Amit Hooda in their mission to stop the opposition from scoring raid points. He has collected 15 important tackle points this season as a defender.

3) Rakesh Kumar (U Mumba)

Rakesh Kumar was bought back by Mumbai in the auctions for season 4, which shows the amount of faith the franchise has in the former India captain. His abilities and experience as an all-rounder have been one of the main reasons for Mumbai’s decent show this season as well.

He primarily plays as a defender, but the World Cup winner and Arjuna Award recipient also uses his prowess in the art of raiding whenever his team needs him to.

His ankle holds and blocks have helped him to collect most of his tackle points, and he uses the hand touch and escape technique to score raid points for his team’s benefit. He has been the rock of Mumbai’s defence this season after the departure of their star defenders and has racked up 16 tackle points for his team.

He has also scored 26 successful raids to stand 14th in the list of top raiders, making him one of the most dangerous all-rounders that opponents have to be wary about this season.

2) Sandeep Narwal (Telugu Titans)

Sandeep Narwal has been a consistent performer over the course of Pro Kabaddi League and has impressed everyone with his all-round capabilities. He has the distinction of being one of the very few players to have amassed 100 points in both defence and attack.

He uses his agility to jump over the oppositions’ chains, and uses his presence of mind to keep the defenders guessing about his moves when he raids. He takes full advantage of his blocks and body holds to make sure raiders don’t score points at will, and makes raiding very challenging for the opposition.

He played an integral role in Patna Pirates’ triumph in Season 3, where he earned the award of best defender after collecting 55 tackle points and 30 assists for the Pirates. He has been one of the strongholds in the defensive line up of Telugu Titans this season, and has helped out his team in dire situations by using his phenomenal skills.

Sandeep has scored 24 successful tackle points this season which gives him the 9th spot in the list of top defenders and has ensured raiders have to think twice before their raid attempts against the Titans.

1) Manjeet Chhillar (Puneri Paltan)

Manjeet Chhillar, the captain of Puneri Paltans is arguably the best all-rounder in PKL history. The experienced campaigner was retained by Pune for season 4, after having a stellar season three. He had previously played for Bengaluru Bulls in the first two seasons, and was awarded the best defender of PKL Season 1 and the MVP of PKL Season 2.

He has 170 successful raids and 171 successful tackles to his name in his PKL career, which proves his phenomenal skills in both departments of the game. He had a dream run last season, as he scored a record 61 tackle points and 45 raid points.

He is in great form this season as well, leading from the front and inspiring his team to win some crucial matches. Pune lie third in the table with 30 points in 10 matches and look well on course to qualify for the semi-finals.

Chhillar has used his quick reflexes and agility to score 20 raid points for his team so far. Playing as the left cover for his team, he uses the dash and block as his weapons to stop raiders from scoring points.

He comfortably occupies the left cover, right cover and center positions as well due to his versatility. He has turned out to be one of the best defenders for the Paltan this season, with 25 successful tackles, which puts him eighth in the list of top defenders.

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