The Pro Kabaddi League has changed the landscape of the sport in the world. It has not only put the sport on the global map, but also produced several star players.
Since kabaddi is a team sport, each players play their role to achieve victory. Raiders and defenders play unique role to take home their side.
Defenders play the all-important role of stopping the raiders in their tracks and denying them raid points. They aim to tackle and pin down the raider before he escapes past the halfline, using a combination of timing, guile, strength and strategy.
A successful tackle not only earns points but can also shift the momentum of the contest in favour of the opposition.
Since its inception in 2014, the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has witnessed some exceptional defenders who have redefined the art of tackling with their consistency, strength and dominance.
Islamic Republic of Iran’s Fazel Atrachali became the first player to hit the 500-tackle point mark in PKL history while appearing for the Bengal Warriorz in 2024.
Atrachali was the top-scoring defender in Season 4 and 7 while playing for Patna Pirates and U Mumba, respectively.
Manjeet Chhillar, the league’s inaugural top defender with 51 tackle points for the Bengaluru Bulls, is fourth on the all-time leaderboard.
Chillar became the first player to emerge as the top defender twice when he scored 61 tackle points for Puneri Paltan in the third season.
Only a handful of defenders have breached the 80-tackle point mark in a single season. Nitesh Kumar is the first and only player to score 100 tackle points in a single campaign while representing UP Yoddhas in Season 6.
Iranian Mohammadreza Shadloui came agonisingly close to matching his tally in Season 10 with 99 tackle points. Shadloui has also topped the leaderboard for highest tackle points in a season thrice – the most by any player in PKL history.
Other players who have emerged as the league’s most successful defenders over the years include Ravinder Pahal (Season 2), Surender Nada (Season 5) and Ankush (Season 9).
Also Read: PKL 12 To Be Held In 4 Cities; Complete Schedule
Most tackle points in PKL
| Rank | Raider | Matches ` | Tackle points |
| 1 | Fazel Atrachali | 188 | 545 |
| 2 | Surjeet Singh | 171 | 443 |
| 3 | Nitesh Kumar | 150 | 409 |
| 4 | Manjeet Chhillar | 132 | 391 |
| 5 | Sunil Kumar | 160 | 390 |
| 6 | Girish Maruti Ernak | 147 | 362 |
| 7 | Sandeep Narwal | 99 | 285 |
| 8 | Mohammadreza Shadloui | 92 | 354 |
| 9 | Parvesh Bhainswal | 160 | 348 |
| 10 | Ravinder Pahal | 124 | 339 |
Most tackle points in PKL season-by-season
| Season | Raider | Tackle points | Matches | Team |
| 1 | Manjeet Chhillar | 51 | 16 | Bengaluru Bulls |
| 2 | Ravinder Pahal | 60 | 14 | Dabang Delhi K.C. |
| 3 | Manjeet Chhillar | 61 | 15 | Puneri Paltan |
| 4 | Fazel Atrachali | 52 | 16 | Patna Pirates |
| 5 | Surender Nada | 80 | 21 | Haryana Steelers |
| 6 | Nitesh Kumar | 100 | 25 | UP Yoddhas |
| 7 | Fazel Atrachali | 82 | 24 | U Mumba |
| 8 | Mohammadreza Shadloui | 89 | 24 | Patna Pirates |
| 9 | Ankush | 89 | 24 | Jaipur Pink Panthers |
| 10 | Mohammadreza Shadloui | 99 | 24 | Haryana Steelers |
| 11 | Mohammadreza Shadloui | 82 | 24 | Haryana Steelers |
