Pro Kabaddi League: Top Defenders of PKL season 9
The ninth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League, scheduled from October 7 to December 17, 2022, produced stars with immense potential and brought young players to the spotlight.
Pro kabaddi League: Top DefendersAfter Jaipur Pink Panthers' second PKL title this year, we'd like to take a detour and discuss the best defenders of this season.
Best Defenders
1. Ankush Rathee
Matches played: 24
Tackle points: 89
Ankush is unmatched when it comes to his defensive skills and firm grip. The Panthers pursued the Chandigarh-based defender after he was named the best defender in the 67th Senior Nationals.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sabse upar jaane ke liye, sabko Catch karna jaruri hai! 😉<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AnkushRathee?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AnkushRathee</a> ke yeh amazing tackles unhe <a href="https://twitter.com/ProKabaddi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProKabaddi</a> Season 9️⃣ mein sabse defender banate hai! 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RiseOfPanthers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RiseOfPanthers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FantasticPanga?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FantasticPanga</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PantherSquad?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PantherSquad</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiHanuman?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiHanuman</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TopCats?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TopCats</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaipurPinkPanthers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaipurPinkPanthers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JPP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JPP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jaipur?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jaipur</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vivoProKabaddi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vivoProKabaddi</a> <a href="https://t.co/RPfKWr6Lf1">pic.twitter.com/RPfKWr6Lf1</a></p>— Jaipur Pink Panthers (@JaipurPanthers) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaipurPanthers/status/1605405195495768064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In addition, he won the All India Kabaddi Championship as a part of team ONGC. He then became the first player of the season to surpass the 70-point mark and secure seven high 5s.
2.Mohammadreza Chiyaneh
Matches played: 20
Tackle points: 84
Due to an issue with his visa, the Iranian Kabaddi all-rounder arrived a few matches later into the ninth season. Despite that, he scored the most tackle points after the end of the league stage.
He ended the season behind Ankush, who was only five points ahead. The Iranian, known for his signature move, the thigh block, is a balanced player who can both attack and defend besides being the reliable captain of Puneri Paltan.
3. Saurabh Nandal
Matches played: 24
Tackle points: 72
Saurabh Nandal has spent three seasons with the Bengaluru Bulls after making his debut appearance in 2019. He topped the list of best defenders last season and maintained his momentum in the ninth season.