Since it will be the Pro Kabaddi League’s tenth season, the 2023–24 season promises to be a historic one. Over time, the defenders have shown that they are not to be taken lightly, even though the invaders have dazzled with their spectacular raiding techniques. Players who have established themselves as some of the greatest tacklers in the world, if not the competition, include Manjeet Chillar, Sandeep Narwal, and Fazel Atrachali. As the competition goes on, we will compile the list of players with the highest tackle points here. Scroll down to read Top Defenders in Pro Kabaddi League Season 10.
Top Defenders in Pro Kabaddi League Season 10
The Pro Kabaddi League’s tenth season has officially begun. The annual Kabaddi tournament features several elite defenders from India. Here are the top-scoring defense players from PKL Season 10:
| Rank | Name | Team | Matches | Tackle Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sahil Gulia | Tamil Thalaivas | 7 | 30 |
| 2 | Shubham Shinde | Bengal Warriors | 8 | 29 |
| 3 | Mohammadreza Chiyaneh | Puneri Paltan | 6 | 23 |
| 4 | Nitesh Kumar | UP Yoddhas | 7 | 22 |
| 5 | Surjeet Singh | Bengaluru Bulls | 8 | 21 |
| 6 | Jaideep Dahiya | Haryana Steelers | 7 | 21 |
| 7 | Saurabh Nandal | Bengaluru Bulls | 8 | 20 |
| 8 | Mohit Nandal | Haryana Steelers | 7 | 20 |
| 9 | Fazel Atrachali | Gujarat Giants | 7 | 20 |
| 10 | Sombir | Gujarat Giants | 7 | 20 |
Top Defenders in Pro Kabaddi League Season 9
After the Patna Pirates, the Jaipur Pink Panthers became the second team in PKL history to win multiple titles in season 9. The Telugu Titans were defeated by the Pink Panthers 33–29.
Now let’s examine the top defenders from PKL 9.
| Player | Team | Tackle points | Matches | Average tackle points |
| Ankush Rathee | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 89 | 24 | 3.71 |
| Mohammadreza Chiyaneh | Patna Pirates | 84 | 20 | 4.20 |
| Saurabh Nandal | Bengaluru Bulls | 72 | 24 | 3.00 |
| Aman Antil | Bengaluru Bulls | 60 | 24 | 2.50 |
| Rinku HC | U Mumba | 59 | 19 | 3.11 |
Top defenders in Pro Kabaddi League history
With 424 tackle points, Iranian hero Fazel Atrachali is the most successful defender in PKL history. Additionally, he is the only player in the PKL with 400 or more successful tackles completed.
| Player | Current Team | Tackle points | Matches | Average tackle points |
| Fazel Atrachali | Gujarat Giants | 444 | 153 | 2.90 |
| Manjeet Chillar | – | 391 | 132 | 2.96 |
| PO Surjeet Singh | Bengaluru Bulls | 369 | 135 | 2.73 |
| Girish Maruti Ernak | U Mumba | 360 | 145 | 2.48 |
| Sandeep Narwal | – | 360 | 156 | 2.30 |
| Ravinder Pahal | – | 339 | 124 | 2.73 |
| Nitesh Kumar | UP Yoddhas | 335 | 120 | 2.79 |
| Parvesh Bhainswal | Telugu Titans | 304 | 128 | 2.37 |
| Sandeep Dhull | Telugu Titans | 303 | 107 | 2.83 |
| Sunil Kumar | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 300 | 121 | 2.47 |
The most expensive defenders at Pro Kabaddi Season 10
Among the many different kinds of players in Kabaddi, defenders are an essential component of every squad. Because of their special skill set, some of these tough tacklers are highly sought after by teams. Defenders frequently make the difference between mediocre and championship-winning teams; thus, clubs must assemble the best defense-supporting players.
Both youthful and seasoned defenders were in high demand throughout the bidding process in the Pro Kabaddi Season 10 Player Auction. Here’s a look at the best players that sold for the highest price during the Pro Kabaddi Season 10 Player Auction.
Fazel Atrachali | Gujarat Giants | ₹ 1.60 crore
Over the years, one of the most effective defenders in Pro Kabaddi has been Sultan Fazel Atrachali. Every franchise wants him on their team, as demonstrated by his high demand at the Season 10 Player Auction. Puneri Paltan, Atrachali’s former team, had insufficient funds after paying a high price to acquire Mohammadreza Chiyaneh. But after a fierce bidding battle involving numerous teams, the Gujarat Giants emerged victorious and acquired the Iranian for ₹ 1.60 crore, making him the most expensive defender in PKL history.
Rahul Sethpal | Haryana Steelers | ₹ 40.70 lac
One of the most gifted young defenders in the PKL is Rahul Sethpal. He has earned 50 tackle points in 33 league games. There is a lot of expectation for the right corner going forward, as he has demonstrated outstanding defensive potential. He was interested in joining the Gujarat Giants and Patna Pirates, but the Haryana Steelers won his services with an offer of ₹ 40.70 lac, making him the most expensive Indian defender at the PKL Season 10 Player Auction.
Mahender Singh | U Mumba | ₹ 40.25 lac
Over the past few seasons in Pro Kabaddi, Mahender Singh has proven to be one of the more reliable defenders. The seasoned defender was a key member of the Bengaluru Bulls defense for five seasons. But in the Season 10 Player Auction, it was U Mumba and U.P. Yoddhas who fought it out in a bidding war for the left cover. Mahender Singh was ultimately signed by U Mumba with a ₹ 40.25 lac bid, making him the third most expensive defender in the Season 10 Player Auction following a protracted tussle between the two teams at the auction table.
Shubham Shinde | Bengal Warriors | ₹ 32.25 lac
At the beginning of the Season 10 Player Auction, teams like the Tamil Thalaivas and Patna Pirates were engaged in a fierce bidding war over Shubham Shinde. Soon after, they were joined in the bidding war by Dabang Delhi K.C., the Season 8 champions, to acquire the right corner, who has 89 tackle points in PKL history. Ultimately, nevertheless, Shubham Shinde was re-signed by the Bengal Warriors for ₹ 32.25 lac using their Final Bid Match (FBM) card. With 43 tackle points in Season 9, he was the second-best defender for the Bengal Warriors and will be an important member of the club in the next one.
Amirhossein Bastami | Tamil Thalaivas | ₹ 30 lac
Asmirhossein Bastami, an Iranian defender who played for the Haryana Steelers the previous season, made his debut in the Pakistan Premier League. In the few games he played, he demonstrated his abilities, and at the end of the season, he totaled 23 tackle points, including one high 5. An emerging star on the Iranian Kabaddi circuit, Bastami will be hoping to further his stature in the next season. A testament to how highly clubs already regard him is the fact that he was the fifth most expensive defender during the Player Auction. Tamil Thalaivas purchased the right corner for ₹ 30 lac ahead of Pro Kabaddi Season 10 following fervent bidding.
