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Pro Kabaddi League: The success no one saw coming

While the success of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) was first noticed only after the tremendous popularity of its inaugural season in 2014, the idea of commercialising the sport’s athletic vibrance through television was first conceived during the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

Despite kabaddi featuring in the Summer Olympics for the first time in 1936 and later being included in the Asian Games in 1990, it was the rural and mud-friendly sport’s reintroduction of the synthetic mat at the 2002 Malaysia Open that had changed the game forever.

Charu Sharma, a TV sports commentator and the director of Mashal Sports - that ideated Pro Kabaddi League, had first realised Kabaddi’s potential at the 2006 Asian Games.

“Kabaddi is naturally compatible for television. Firstly, it is played indoors, in a controlled environment. The playing field is compact, which means the cameras don’t miss much. It is a robust sport, and the players are athletic specimens. It is gripping action, and TV is a slave to that,” Charu Sharma had said in an interview to Mint.

Starting with steep competition

Having a good vision wasn’t enough though, as the world history is filled with examples of great ideas getting executed disastrously. Hence, the right time for kabaddi’s arrival was still far away – eight years to be exact.

Ironically, it was the Indian Premier League that would set the ball rolling after the franchise-based cricket tournament became a massive hit in 2008. The T20 league occupied the prime-time television slots of the Indian masses with sports like badminton, tennis, football, and kabaddi daring to achieve something similar.

Soon, India saw the Premier Badminton League (PBL) and Indian Super League (ISL) starting in 2013, which was followed by the Pro Kabaddi League and International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) in 2014.

With IPL leading the charts as India’s most popular choice, the rest were all fighting for the second spot. And it was quite evident that PKL was starting on a backfoot.

While the ISL saw football superstars like Alessandro del Piero, Zico, Nicolas Anelka and others gracing the league, the IPTL had the likes of Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Andre Agassi. Hence, PKL could not compete in terms of popularity quotient.

Urban tweaks to a rural game

However, while the other leagues were relying on their marquee players – an IPL concept – to enrich an already popular sport, PKL’s sole weapon was the product.

Having a sport like Kabaddi that already had its roots deep into Indian culture, PKL banked on the wide-spread knowledge of the game to make it more thrilling and unpredictable – a scope that football, tennis or badminton didn’t have.

The introduction of the 30-second rule (where no raid can exceed 30 seconds), the do-or-die raid (every third empty raid) and the super tackle (an extra point when three or fewer defenders make a successful tackle), all served its prime purpose – to hold viewers’ attention for 40 minutes.

While people were optimistic about PKL’s chances, none had thought it to be an instant success. As per the PKL media handbook, the first season had recorded a whopping 435 million views.

"Within the first season, at the end of 37 days of season 1, it was already, in a proven way, the No. 2 sport on TV. This does not happen,” Shubhranshu Singh, Executive VP - Head Marketing of Sports at Star India, had said during PKL 5 launch.

“Across the world, I can't think of another sport like ours, mostly never on television, which arrives, takes on other sports that have been present for decades on primetime television, and within one season, in 30-35 days, becomes the No. 2 sport," he would add.

PKL’s unprecedented rise

If season one had offered something new to the Indian masses, the second edition of the league was the new “cool”. A rural sport like Kabaddi was seeing 60% of PKL’s viewership coming from the metro cities in the season and third seasons.

The year 2015 saw Star Sports announcing 74% stake in the league’s parent company, Mashal Sports, and it was soon renamed as ‘Mashal Sports Pvt.Ltd Star India’.

Once the money started flowing in, there was no stopping PKL. The league had boasted of 51% of a cumulative viewership growth over four seasons, which was the highest for any sports league in India.

Viewers couldn’t get enough of the sport, and after holding two PKL editions in 2016 alone, the league had to expand to 12 teams in 2017. Even IPL and ISL haven’t been able to do that yet.

If Rakesh Kumar was the most expensive player in PKL 1 for 12.8 lakhs, season 5 saw raider Nitin Tomar getting sold for Rs. 93 lakhs while season 6 had Monu Goyat going for Rs. 1.51 crores, and the last season saw Siddharth Desai becoming the most expensive player with 1.45 crores.

The total prize money for PKL season one was Rs. 2 crores which have increased to Rs. 8 crores until last season.

The Pro Kabaddi League has, however, not only improved the lifestyles of the Kabaddi players but also become a talent pool for the national Kabaddi team. Some of the best talents in world Kabaddi now like Pardeep Narwal, Rahul Chaudhari, Pawan Kumar and more have come up through PKL.

Glitz and Glamour

Once things were going visibly north for PKL, the organisers did not want to leave anything to chance. While Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan, the Jaipur franchise owner, was the only celebrity in the first season, the later seasons witnessed high-profile Bollywood stars featuring in PKL someway or the other.

Amitabh Bachchan's Le Panga song was a huge hit amid the Hindi-speaking audience and the league has been lit up with the glitz and glamour of the movie industry. 

PKL has seen Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan already gracing the platform for film promotions. Regional ambassadors like Yash and Rana Daggubati were also roped in.

The seventh and last season of PKL saw 9 per cent growth in viewership numbers as it remained the most-watched non-cricket sports league in the country. After the global pandemic saw PKL pushed to 2021, fans have eagerly waited for the league to return this year.

Feature Image Courtesy: Instagram/ Pro Kabaddi League 

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How the kabaddi match has evolved over the years

The idea of a kabaddi match in ancient history was completely different to what we watch on TV these days. Initially adopted as an activity to hone battle skills, kabaddi has come a long way in establishing itself as one of the most-watched sports in India.

It has been documented that the chronicle of kabaddi is almost 4,000 years old. Hindu mythology states that in the epic Mahabharata, Pandava warrior Arjuna learned the skills from his closest friend, Lord Krishna. Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu, too used kabaddi strategies to breach the seven-tiered ‘Chakravyuha’ defence during battle.

It took its time to become a popular sport in India, but fast forward to today’s date and kabaddi has rightly found its place.

A brief timeline of kabaddi’s evolution

  • Origin: > 4000 years ago

  • 1918: First set of rules for kabaddi in India were introduced

  • 1936: Demonstration at the Summer Olympics in Berlin

  • 1950: Formation of All India Kabaddi Federation

  • 1980: First-ever Asian Kabaddi Championship

  • 1990: Kabaddi included in Asian Games 

  • 2004: First-ever standard style Kabaddi World Cup

  • 2014: Advent of Pro Kabaddi league in India

Since making its demonstrative appearance at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, kabaddi matches, especially in India, have undergone myriads of changes; right from its playing surface to technical aspects like the addition of bonus line and productive raid.

Different types of kabaddi matches

Laymen are mostly aware of the standard style kabaddi. A very few, however, know that the sport has the privilege to organise itself in two different formats – the standard style and the circle style. While the two styles are distinguished on a few notable grounds, India has further bifurcations in a kabaddi match.

Sanjeevani kabaddi: A Sanjeevani kabaddi match is played over the course of 40 minutes with a five-minute break between the two halves. With seven players in each team, this form of kabaddi sees the revival and out rule. When a player is touched or is caught, they will be sent out of the court. Points will be awarded to the opposition, and the team will get an opportunity to revive an out player. In case of an all-out, the team is rewarded with four extra points.

Amar kabaddi: The Amar style has the same duration as the Sanjeevani kabaddi match, but in this particular form, a player who is declared out stays in the court and the game continues. For every touch, a team gets a point.

Gaminee kabaddi: A Gaminee kabaddi match has no fixed time duration as it focuses more on an out-all strategy. Seven players play on each side, and the player who has been put out has to stay out until an all-out is inflicted on his team. For every all-out, a point is rewarded. Victory is secured after a team earns five or seven such all-out points. 

Changes in kabaddi rules over the years

When kabaddi entered the world stage in the early 21st century, the guidelines in place were raw. For example, there was no set time for raid duration, meaning that a raider can waste as much time as they would want. Injuries were frequent and as the World Kabaddi Federation (WKF) described, a kabaddi match looked like a combination of wrestling and rugby.

In order to improve the game for both the players and the viewers, several amendments were brought in place. In 1983, a bonus line was included in India to make the game more interesting. A bonus line in kabaddi is the line between the end line and the baulk line. Note that the bonus line is only active when the opposite team has six or more players on the court. To get a bonus point, the raider must cross the line marked in the territory of the defending team. Productive raids -- where a raider had to score a point or concede one -- was brought in effect in 1989 to add to the thrill.

Amendment of raid durations was further put in place. As things stand, a raider will have a maximum of 30 seconds to complete a raid and will receive a warning once the person crosses the 20-second mark.

Shift from mud to mat transforms kabaddi

In 2002, synthetic foam mats were introduced during the Malaysia Open and that effectively brought a massive change in the game. Kabaddi matches took a big leap from hereon as the players were able to perform freely enough. Furthermore, the addition of a mat meant kabaddi now moved from being an outdoor sport to an indoor one.

A shift from dusty grounds to mats has helped kabaddi transform from India’s indigenous game to multi-faceted professional sport. The transition has propelled kabaddi being a more raider-friendly game, assisting the defenders. 

 

All international standard style events are now held on the mat and even national, state and district level competitions in India are following the suit. A shift from mud to mat has helped strengthen the sport and also gain more acceptance across the globe.

“The game on mud and that on the mat is very different,” said former India national kabaddi team player and Arjuna awardee BC Ramesh. “On mud, footwork mattered a lot for raiders. The game was more skill-based. Now only skill doesn’t work. You need to move a lot on the court and unsettle the defenders. On the mat, the speed of the game has increased a lot, so it is now about your skill, speed and strength.

“The mud offers less friction and allows the foot to skid. On the mat, the friction is more and the foot has a firmer grip on the surface. It comes with both advantages and disadvantages.”

Pro Kabaddi ace Rakesh Kumar believes that the mat offers the right amount of grip to execute a wide range of skills. 

“Be it the jump, or the dubki (duck), it is easier as he has a firm footing on the mat. On the mud, it is harder as the raider often slips while attempting those skills,” Rakesh Kumar explained.

“It works the other way round for defenders. The loose footing on the mud helps absorb the shock the body goes through when it clashes with the raider. On the mat, it is not the case. The pressure is all on your legs as it doesn’t skid. That’s why you don’t see many single-man blocks or chain tackles succeeding on the mat,” he pointed out.

Pro Kabaddi: Glorifying the sport

The advent of Pro Kabaddi in India in 2014 was a major step ahead for the sport. The league was launched to unearth Indian kabaddi players and promote the sport across the country. The addition of glamour means it took no time for the competition to hit the ground running.

Duly backed by Star Sports, who acquired its broadcasting rights, the opening day of PKL during the inaugural season had accumulated viewership of 22 million. 

According to the channel, viewership reached 435 million during the season, which was second in India only behind the 560 million that cricket’s Indian T20 League pulled.

There has been no looking back since, as kabaddi’s rapid growth eventually attracted foreign players to be a part of the extravaganza.

To increase the intensity of a kabaddi match and make it more captivating for the viewers, PKL brought in a couple of new sets of rules in Super Tackle and Do-or-Die Raid. 

  • Super Tackle: Stopping a raider from crossing the midline would traditionally result in a point for the defending team. However, if the team is reduced to three or fewer players and they execute the same, they are awarded an extra point, and this would be termed as a Super Tackle.
  • Do-or-Die Raid: If a team fails to pick a point in two consecutive raids, the player coming in for the third raid (a do-or-die raid) has to score a point. Failure in doing so means he would be declared out and the opponent would earn a point.

Rules like these have reincarnated the fascination in the sport and have rightly changed the face of kabaddi in India. Like any other sport, kabaddi matches will still evolve with time. Rules may change, but the sport will still keep its charm intact.

Feature image courtesy: Pro Kabaddi 2020

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Sons of The Soil: Review of Jaipur Pink Panthers Documentary

Despite India’s evident madness of cricket for decades now, revered director Alex Gale’s willingness to explore a sport like Kabaddi is commendable. Furthermore, with BBC Studios producing it and streaming giant Amazon Prime Video willing to make it their first-ever Indian original sports docu-series, viewers knew something special was brewing.

Hence, the release of Sons of the Soil: Jaipur Pink Panthers coincidentally getting a release when the country was thirsting for some Pro Kabaddi League action in any way possible, is the universe's way of paying back for the noble intent.

Alex Gale, who has previously made films on football legend Eric Cantona, Scottish Highland Football League wooden spooners Fort William FC and others, rightly decided to keep the docu-series “unscripted” as the five episodes explore the seventh Pro Kabaddi League season campaign of Jaipur Pink Panthers.

Any ardent follower of Pro Kabaddi League would know that JPP finished seventh in the points table last season, one spot behind the qualification range, and it was far from a decent season. However, Gale’s project showcases much more than just the end result.

From the gravely serious dressing room discussions to a player’s home where a mother is seen doing oil massage on his head, the series goes back and forth as Gale tries to bring out the dichotomy of the emerging kabaddi players’ lives.

“Sons of the Soil” has a layered meaning as well.

Despite PKL’s emergence as one of the most-watched events in 21st century India, where the ancient rural sport is repackaged into ostentatious surroundings, the players trading the muddy kabaddi soil back in the village for an artificial mat have their own challenges.

Whether it be the continuous media interference in the touchline, or in this case the dressing room, the young players of Haryana, Chandigarh and other places bearing the price tag of their talent is a huge task as well. And directors Alex Gale and Omkar Potdar strive to bring out that struggle.

Coach L. Srinivas Reddy and captain Deepak Niwas Hooda personify this pressure that the JPP team feels in the 2019 season after an underwhelming 2018 season, where JPP had finished fifth in Zone A.

However, the most ever-present figure in the entire five-episode series is Abhishek Bachchan, who is the owner of the team and the orator of the story as well.

Despite his repeated accentuation of how the entire JPP team is a family, Abhishek Bachchan is severely uncompromising about his innate urge to win at all cost. The three adjectives that junior Bachchan use are defining and in a way, Jaipur Pink Panthers’ motto: passionate ("I don't like losing"), fair ("I still don't like losing") and affable ("But not when I'm losing.")

Overall, viewers are taken in a rollercoaster of emotions that revolve only and only revolve around kabaddi. The raw language used in discussions, both on and off the mat, will almost throw its viewers off the seat as it depicts how a cricket-crazy nation has a small populace that lives, breathes, and thinks kabaddi.

Though an ambiguous ending to the docu-series - for lack of a better conclusion of Jaipur’s season - is a loophole in the ambitious project, Amazon’s August attempt highlights the notion that India’s tag of a “cricket-crazy nation” might have just started to change.

Feature Image courtesy: Instagram / Jaipur Pink Panthers

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Sandeep Narwal picks four young players destined for greatness

A Pro Kabaddi League champion and a winner of multiple international competitions with the Indian national kabaddi team, all-rounder Sandeep Narwal has left no stone unturned in his magnificent career.

Narwal has won all there is to win in kabaddi and certainly knows what it takes to reach to the top of his sport. As one of the most experienced players in the PKL, Narwal not only continues to be a star player but also a great mentor to young players.

The veteran can certainly identify talent simply by the eye test and can vouch for it without hesitation. In an Instagram live conversation on the Pro Kabaddi handle, Narwal revealed four young players that he believes will be stellar players and will go on to represent India as well. Here’s the list:

Sonu Jaglan

Narwal's first pick was Gujarat Fortunegiants' young raider Sonu Jaglan. The young raider scored 76 points in his maiden PKL campaign and was highly impressive despite raiding only sporadically. Jaglan managed two Super 10s and four Super Raids in his limited opportunities, providing a glimpse of what to expect in the coming years from this rising star.

Surender Gill

In a team that included three veteran raiders in Rishank Devadiga, Monu Goyat and Shrikant Yadav, rookie raider Surender Gill still managed to make a big impact in his debut campaign. Gill was the team’s second-highest point scorer with 80, picking up about four to five points in almost every game that he played in his debut campaign. Gill's tenacity and ability to read an incoming tackle attempt are well beyond his years, which is why Narwal has backed him to do well in the near future.

Abhishek Singh

After spending his debut campaign in Siddharth Desai's shadow, raider Abhishek Singh was promoted to lead raider by U Mumba in Season 7 and he did not disappoint, scoring 163 points in 21 matches. Singh scored 10 Super 10s in Season 7, averaging almost one in two games and was not out in 80.72% of his raids, meaning even when he couldn’t score, he ensured he gave away close to nothing to the opposition. The young raider was particularly impressive in do-or-die situations, scoring 37 points over the course of the season, the third-most behind Vikash Kandola (42) and Pardeep Narwal (41).

Arjun Deshwal

Narwal also picked U Mumba’s second-choice raider Arjun Deshwal to take the league by storm in the upcoming seasons. Deshwal played just three matches in his debut campaign in Season 6 but featured more prominently in his second season and scored 106 points in 17 matches. Deshwal needed just 191 raids to score his 104 raid points, giving him an impressive strike rate of 54.45. The youngster scored three Super 10s in Season 7 and expect him to score plenty more in the upcoming seasons.

Feature image courtesy: ProKabaddi.com

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Pardeep Narwal misses out on Sandeep Narwal's Pro Kabaddi Dream Team

Perhaps the best all-rounder in kabaddi at the moment, no one has successfully executed more Super Tackles than Sandeep Narwal (28) in Pro Kabaddi history. Fourth in the all-time leaderboard for Tackle Points (310), Sandeep is just as electrifying on the other end of the mat and has 249 Raid Points to his name.

The dynamic all-rounder who loves a mean block and dash while defending recently revealed his kabaddi dream team in an Instagram Live on the PKL’s official handle and here we look at the players he chose to be a part of the team, having already picked himself.

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Corners – Amit Hooda and Joginder Narwal

Sandeep chose Joginder Narwal to captain his dream team and it doesn’t come much of surprise for those who follow the sport closely. Not the most flamboyant player on the mat, Joginder is someone who likes to lead by example. Excellent at organizing defences, he may not always feature among the points but brings a calming and assuring presence for his teammates on the mat. An experienced head, Joginder has scored 173 Tackle Points during his PKL career.

Amit Hooda is another experienced corner that any team would love to have. The second-best defender in the league in Season 4 with 51 Tackle Points, Hooda’s anticipation and ability to time his tackles perfectly make him a nightmare for raiders to deal with. One of just 17 defenders to have more than 10 High 5s in league history, Hooda’s managed to score five tackle points or more in a match 12 times. He has 237 Tackle Points and maintained a tackle strike rate of more than 50 per cent over the years.  

Covers – Surjeet Singh and Manjeet Chhillar

The cover combination of Surjeet Singh and Manjeet Chhillar is one of the best in Pro Kabaddi history and it’s difficult to think of a better duo to play in these positions. Manjeet tops the leaderboard for most Tackle Points (339) and Surjeet isn’t far behind in fifth spot with 278 points.

The second season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a two-time Best Defender in the PKL, Manjeet’s decision-making and vice-like grip make him the tormentor-in-chief for opposition raiders. A formidable frame on the mat and good at reading the play as well, Manjeet’s dashes are often like poetry in motion and generally bad news if you are a raider.

Surjeet, meanwhile, will go down in history as one of the best Right Cover defenders to have ever played the game. Well-adept when deployed as a Left Cover too, he’s just one of two Cover defenders to feature in the top 15 Tackle Points scorers in league history and is the sole Cover defender to notch a minimum of 50 Tackle Points in the last three PKL campaigns.

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Raiders – Pawan Sehrawat and Rohit Kumar

Teammates at Bengaluru Bulls, the superstar pairing of Pawan Sehrawat and Rohit Kumar are no strangers when it comes to raiding and wreaking havoc on opponents in tandem. Seventh on the leaderboard for Raid Points (670), Rohit helped Patna Pirates to the PKL crown in the third season and was also adjudged the MVP for the campaign. Unstoppable when in full flight, Rohit’s capable of single-handedly beating any team on his day.

Sehrawat, though, stands a class apart from the other raiders in the league. His breakout season was the sixth edition of the PKL when he notched 282 Raid Points to help Bengaluru Bulls to their maiden title. Sehrawat was named the MVP for his efforts that season and followed it up by scoring 360 in the seventh edition of the league, secondly only to Pardeep Narwal that season – the league’s all-time leading scorer.

Last season saw him break the record for most points in a game. Sehrawat scored 39 points against Haryana Steelers, besting the previous best mark of 34, which was set by Pardeep in the fifth season. A player who thrives under pressure, Sehrawat (26) is second only to Pardeep (53) when it comes to Super Raids as well.

Feature image courtesy: ProKabaddi.com

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Nitin Tomar's Pro Kabaddi Dream Team

A stellar raider known for his incredible agility and miraculous escapes, Nitin Tomar has been a brilliant raider in the Pro Kabaddi league (PKL).

With 467 raid points, Tomar is among the top 20 points scorers in league history and has played with and against the best PKL has to offer. So, a player of his experience would be expected to pick a stellar Dream Team and he did just that on an Instagram live chat on the PKL handle.

Having picked himself in the lineup, here are the other six players Tomar chose for his side:

Corners – Fazel Atrachali and Nitesh Kumar

For the Corner slots, Tomar chose PKL Season 6 and Season 7's highest tackle point scorers, U.P. Yoddha's Nitesh Kumar and U Mumba's Fazel Atrachali.

Nitesh has been a revelation at the Right Corner spot since his debut in Season 5 and has redefined the way the position is played in PKL. He scored an incredible 100 tackle points in PKL Season 6, the only defender to hit triple figures for tackle points in a single season. He followed his incredible season with another outstanding one, scoring 75 tackle points, the most by a Right Corner in Season 7.

Few players have a CV comparable to the great Fazel Atrachali. The Iranian won the Best Defender award in Season 7, becoming only the second man after Manjeet Chhillar to win the award twice. He also became only the third defender to score 300 tackle points and climbed to third on the list of the league’s all-time leading tackle point scorers in PKL history, behind Manjeet and Ravinder Pahal.

Covers – Manjeet Chhillar and Surjeet Singh

The aforementioned Manjeet Chhillar found a spot on Tomar's Dream Team alongside Surjeet Singh.

The veteran has enjoyed a Hall of Fame career in the PKL, winning the Best Defender twice and the MVP award in Season 2. Manjeet is PKL all-time leading tackle point scorer with 339 and has scored over 500 points in his PKL career.

Surjeet Singh is perhaps the best Right Cover defender in the history of the PKL. With 278 tackle points, Surjeet is one of only two Cover defenders to feature in the top 15 tackle points scorers in PKL history, alongside veteran Jeeva Kumar. Surjeet is the only Cover defender to score atleast 50 tackle points in each of the last three PKL campaigns.

Raiders – Pardeep Narwal and Pawan Sehrawat

It barely comes as a surprise that Tomar chose Patna Pirates' Pardeep Narwal and Bengaluru Bulls' Pawan Sehrawat as the two raiders in his team.

Narwal, the league’s all-time leading points scorer, holds almost every scoring record there is in PKL. A two-time league MVP and a two-time Best Raider award winner, Pardeep led Patna Pirates to an unprecedented hat-trick of titles between Season 3 to Season 5 and holds the record for most points in a single season with 369, which he achieved in his magical Season 5 campaign.  

With Rahul Chaudhari quickly fading into oblivion, Pardeep was seemingly untouched at the top of the kabaddi throne, but in Season 6, a new challenger emerged in Bengaluru Bulls' Pawan Sehrawat.

The mercurial raider led the Bulls to their maiden title in Season 6 and was named the league MVP for his incredible campaign. He followed that up by elevating it a notch higher in Season 7, scoring 360 points, second-most to Pardeep's 369 in Season 5. He broke the record for most points in a game, scoring 39 against Haryana Steelers, surpassing the previous mark of 34 set by Pardeep in Season 5.

Feature image courtesy: ProKabaddi.com

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Pardeep and Sehwarat star in Manjeet Chhillar's Pro Kabaddi Dream Team

A former MVP and a two-time Best Defender Award winner, Tamil Thalaivas' Manjeet Chhillar is one of the greats of Pro Kabaddi and continues to be a solid player in the league.

Manjeet is the league's leading tackle point-scorer with 339 and is one of only two all-rounders to score over 200 raid points and 300 tackle points alongside U Mumba’s Sandeep Narwal.

The veteran has played with and against the best that PKL has had to offer and is a reliable authority on who the league's best players have been. So, when Manjeet picked his Pro Kabaddi Dream Team, it was bound to be a special unit filled to the brim with talent.

Manjeet picked himself to play as the Left Cover and here are his remaining six picks:

Cover – Surjeet Singh

With himself slotted in the Left Cover position, Manjeet opted for Surjeet Singh to partner him as the Right Cover in his team.

A stalwart of Indian kabaddi, Surjeet is one of the finest Cover defenders in the Pro Kabaddi league. The Puneri Paltan skipper is the highest-scoring Cover defender in league history and is also the only Cover defender to feature in the top 10 tackle point-scorers in PKL history (Manjeet Chhillar is also a Cover defender that is in the top 10 tackle point-scorers, however, he started and played a large chunk of his career as a Corner defender).

Corners – Ravinder Pahal and Joginder Narwal

For the two Corner slots, Manjeet picked Dabang Delhi duo Ravinder Pahal and Joginder Narwal.

Right Corner Pahal has been ever-present in the Pro Kabaddi League and is a former Best Defender Award winner, finishing as the league's leading tackle point-scorer in Season 2. The Hawk, as he is fondly known, has scored 326 tackle points in his Pro Kabaddi career, trailing only Manjeet, who leads the league with 339.

A terrific leader, a respected figure and a stellar Left Corner, Joginder Narwal may be in the twilight of his career as a player but still continues to be an extremely reliable defender in the toughest defensive position in kabaddi. Joginder has scored 173 tackle points in his PKL career, which ranks just outside the top 20 in league history.

Raiders – Vikash Kandola, Pawan Sehrawat and Pardeep Narwal

For the three raiding spots in the team, Manjeet picked Haryana Steelers' Vikash Kandola, Bengaluru Bulls' Pawan Sehrawat and Patna Pirates' Pardeep Narwal.

After two seasons of playing an excellent backup raider, Haryana Steelers promoted Vikash Kandola to lead the team’s raiding unit in Season 7 and the youngster did not disappoint, scoring 190 raid points in 20 matches, which included 11 Super 10s, the fourth-most in the league. Kandola is one of the rising stars in the PKL and it comes as little surprise that Manjeet picked up this wily raider to be the third-choice in his team.

In Sehrawat and Narwal, Manjeet picked two raiders that have scored a combined 1842 raid points, 90 Super 10s, 79 Super Raids and won three best Raider Awards, three MVPs and four PKL titles.

The duo are by far the two best and most accomplished raiders in PKL history and it truly was a no-brainer for Manjeet to pick them in his Dream Team.

Feature image courtesy: ProKabaddi.com

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Ajay Thakur’s Kabaddi Dream Team

A World Cup winner, an Asian Games gold medallist and a recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri Award, raider Ajay Thakur has had a stellar career that continues to go from strength-to-strength even in his mid-30s.

Thakur has been part of the Indian kabaddi team for well over a decade and has played with or against the finest kabaddi players the nation has ever produced.

With a list of teammates so stellar, picking just seven players in his Dream Team was a huge ask for Thakur. So big, that he omitted himself from the team. Still, he managed to pick seven players that would make his Dream Team and it’s a team laced with Arjuna Awardees and World Champions.

Corners – Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Joginder Singh

For the Left Corner spot, Thakur chose Dabang Delhi captain Joginder Singh.

The veteran has been a mainstay in the Pro Kabaddi since the inaugural season and scored 173 tackle points in 82 matches in Pro Kabaddi League. The veteran has been captain of Dabang Delhi for the past two campaigns and ended their playoff drought, leading them to the Pro Kabaddi League final in Season 7.

On the right flank, the former Indian skipper picked Dharmaraj Cheralathan.

The Haryana Steelers skipper led Patna Pirates to the title in Season 4 and has been one of the most consistent defenders in league history. ‘Anna’, as he is fondly known, was Thakur’s teammate during his time with the Bengaluru Bulls. Cheralathan is one of only eight defenders with over 250 tackle points in Pro Kabaddi league history.

Covers – Pankaj Shirsat and Manjeet Chhillar

The Left Cover slot was a no-brainer, as Thakur picked friend and longtime teammate Manjeet Chhillar in that position.

Pro Kabaddi's all-time leading tackle point scorer with 339, Manjeet is a former league MVP and two-time winner of the league’s Best Defender Award. The veteran captained Thakur in the past and played under his tutelage at Tamil Thalaivas. A player worthy of kabaddi's Hall of Fame, if there ever was one.

For the Right Cover position, Thakur went for a player from the pre-Pro Kabaddi era of the sport in India, legend Pankaj Shirsat.

Shirsat, a police official like Thakur, played the majority of his career for Maharashtra and Air India and was the captain of the Indian team that won the 2007 World Cup. Shirsat, like Manjeet and Thakur, is a recipient of the Arjuna Award.

Raiders – Anup Kumar, Rakesh Kumar and Dinesh Kumar

For the three raiders in the team, Thakur picked current Puneri Paltan coach Anup Kumar, current Haryana Steelers coach Rakesh Kumar and former Pro Kabaddi star Dinesh Kumar.

Anup Kumar, the first bonafide star of the Pro Kabaddi league, led U Mumba to three straight finals in the first three seasons of the Pro Kabaddi league, leading them to the title in Season 2. Anup was the first player to be named the league’s MVP and is still among the top 10 scorers in Pro Kabaddi history.

Anup's great friend and a legend of the sport, Rakesh Kumar was Thakur's second pick in the raiding unit. Part of the Patna Pirates in the first two seasons and U Mumba in Season 3, Rakesh was one of the most complete players of his generation. Rakesh has won multiple gold medals with India at continental competitions and scored 260 points in the Pro Kabaddi in 55 matches.

The final player Ajay picked is raider Dinesh Kumar, another who played his best kabaddi before the inception of the Pro Kabaddi league.

A part of India's World Cup-winning squad from 2007, Dinesh was a quality raider who was also bestowed with the Arjuna Award following that win. Dinesh played eight matches in Season 2 of the Pro Kabaddi league for the Bengal Warriors, scoring 19 points.

Feature image courtesy: ProKabaddi.com

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Fazel ‘Sultan’ Atrachali’s best High 5 performances in Pro Kabaddi

In a sport where raiders generally rule the roost, Iranian defender Fazel ‘Sultan’ Atrachali is in a class of his own. After making his Pro Kabaddi debut in Season 2, Atrachali has gone on to establish himself as one of the finest defenders in the game. A two-time Pro Kabaddi champion – first with U Mumba and then with Patna Pirates – Atrachali has won the Best Defender twice in the league and is third on the all-time leaderboard for most Tackle Points (317). While there are innumerable performances to choose from, here we have a look at his top five High 5 performances in Pro Kabaddi.

Gujarat Fortunegiants VS Puneri Paltan, Match 40 (PKL 5) – 9 points

The Fortunegiants enjoyed a stellar campaign in Season 5 of Pro Kabaddi. They topped Zone A after winning 15 matches while losing just four and a major reason behind their solid displays was the presence of the Iranian powerhouse Atrachali in defence. His display for Gujarat against Puneri Paltan was particularly impressive and is his highest ever points return in match. Gujarat beat Pune 35-21 as Atrachali starred by top-scoring in the match with nine Tackle Points, having succeeded in nine of his 10 tackle attempts.

Patna Pirates VS Telugu Titans, Match 53 (PKL 4) – 8 points

Season 4 was a good one for Atrachali, who became a Pro Kabaddi champion for the second time in his career having previously won the title with U Mumba in 2014. The Iranian once again played the role of a leader in defence as Pardeep Narwal wreaked havoc in offence for Patna Pirates. Atrachali’s performance in the season, though, wasn’t a memorable one since the Pirates succumbed to a 25-46 loss against Telugu Titans. The result did little to thwart Patna’s title charge and Atrachali would have taken confidence from his own performance in the match having finished with eight Tackle Points, which included two Super Tackles.

U Mumba VS Haryana Steelers, Match 130 (PKL 7) – 8 points

Back with U Mumba for Season 7, Atrachali quickly became their main man in defence and was trusted by his teammates to organize the troops. His performances for the team were often the difference between a win or a loss for them and his showing against Haryana Steelers in Greater Noida was perhaps his best display for Mumbai last season. U Mumba went on to win the match 39-33 with Atrachali leading the way in defence courtesy eight tackle points, including a Super Tackle. Besides his own points, Atrachali’s support for his teammates came to the fore in this contest with the likes of Sandeep Narwal and Young Chang Ko also shining in defence thanks to a bit of help from the Iranian.

Bengal Warriors VS Patna Pirates, Match 39 (PKL 4) – 7 points

The fourth season of Pro Kabaddi witnessed several top-class defensive displays by the Iranian and his showing against Bengal Warriors in Patna’s 33-27 win was another brilliant individual performance. Up against raiders like Monu Goyat and Jang Kun Lee, Atrachali turned out to be the difference-maker between the teams as his assured and robust defending helped Patna to a victory in a close contest. He finished the night with seven Tackle Points and executed two Super Tackles at crucial junctures to dig his team out of a hole.

Puneri Paltan VS U Mumba, Match 52 (PKL 2) – 7 points

Atrachali’s best performance in his first title-winning campaign in Pro Kabaddi with U Mumba came during a high stakes Maharashtra derby between the eventual champions that season and Puneri Paltan. Mumbai eventually went on to beat Pune 39-34 but were made to work hard for the victory. They should thank Atrachali for playing a key role in the win by being solid in defence and finishing the night with six Tackle Points to his name, which also included a Super Tackle. The Iranian also showed that he’s far from a one-trick pony when he went up the other end of the mat in the match and returned with a touchpoint.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @PatnaPirates

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Manjeet Chhillar’s top five performances in Pro Kabaddi

In a sport where raiders often grab the limelight, Manjeet Chhillar stands out on his own as one of the finest all-rounders that kabaddi has seen. The leading Tackle Points scorer (339) in Pro Kabaddi history, Manjeet has a total of 563 PKL points and has enjoyed plenty of success in his career. An Arjuna Award recipient and Pro Kabaddi’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in Season 2, Manjeet has also won the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup and the 2018 Dubai Kabaddi Masters with India. What sets him apart from the rest is his ability to contribute at both ends of the mat and even though he’s been on the wane in the past few seasons, here we have a look at his best Pro Kabaddi performances.

Dabang Delhi K.C. VS Bengaluru Bulls, Match 2 (PKL 1) - 15 points

Manjeet’s best Pro Kabaddi performance in terms of points came in just the second match of the inaugural season when everybody first got a glimpse of what the all-rounder known as the on-man machine was capable of doing. While taking on Dabang Delhi K.C. in Bengaluru Bulls’ colours, Manjeet produced a masterful display that saw him finish the match with a total of 15 points to help his team register a 42-28 win. His all-round ability was evident for all to see in the game as finished with a Super 10 courtesy 10 raid points as well as a High 5 for five tackle points in defence.

Puneri Paltan VS Bengaluru Bulls, Match 16 (PKL 1) - 15 points

Dabang Delhi K.C. weren’t the only team to come up on the wrong end of an unstoppable Manjeet. Puneri Paltan – a team he would go on to represent in the future – were also given a first-hand exhibition of what he’s capable of. Even though Bengaluru Bulls went on to lose the game, Manjeet could hold his head high following another clinical showing at either end of the mat. He finished the match with four tackle points and a Super 10 – 10 touch and 1 bonus points – as Pune edged Bengaluru 31-30 in a close contest.

Bengal Warriors VS Puneri Paltan, Match 15 (PKL 3) - 13 points

His 13-point effort in Season 3 for Puneri Paltan, which went in vain as Bengal Warriors won the contest 33-28, was another outstanding all-round display by Manjeet. He tried to grab the match by the scruff of the neck and managed to do well to a certain degree in a team that also featured the likes of Ajay Thakur and Deepak Hooda. The lack of support from his teammates was a major reason behind the loss as he finished the match with six raid points – three touch as well as three bonuses – and also bagged a High 5 with seven tackle points, including three Super Tackles.

Puneri Paltan VS Jaipur Pink Panthers, Match 24 (PKL 3) - 13 points

Nine matches later in Season 3, Manjeet was delivering another inspiring effort on the mat for Puneri Paltan and this time, with the help of teammate Thakur, scorer of 11 raid points in the encounter, managed to play out a 32-32 tie against Season 1 champions Jaipur Pink Panthers. Manjeet, though, was once again the team’s talisman and led from the front with 13 points. He picked up another High 5 for his display, having finished the contest with seven Tackle Points and also managed six touch points while raiding.

Puneri Paltan VS Bengaluru Bulls, Match 55 (PKL 4) - 11 points

Manjeet has enjoyed plenty of 11-point efforts in Pro Kabaddi over the years but perhaps the most memorable of those came while he was representing Puneri Paltan against his former side Bengaluru Bulls in Season 4. He led Puneri Paltan to a 36-33 win and top-scored in the match with 11 points that ultimately proved to be the difference between the teams. Unlike most of his 11-point displays, this time, Manjeet relied solely on his defensive attributes as he nursed an injury. He attempted 12 tackles on the night and was successful with 11 Tackle Points in what was a match-winning display.

Feature image courtesy: ProKabaddi.com

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