Top 5 Iranian Players in PKL 12
Iranian players have been a big part of Pro Kabaddi League since the tournament started. Season 12 has seen some brilliant performances from Iranian kabaddi stars. These players brought their skills to Indian kabaddi and made the competition very exciting. Let’s take a look at the top 5 Iranian players in PKL 12 and see how they performed throughout the season.
1. Alireza Mirzaian
Alireza Mirzaian has been the best Iranian player in PKL 12 without any doubt. The young raider from Iran joined Bengaluru Bulls and became their main attacking weapon this season. Bengaluru Bulls bought him in a reasonable price range during the auction. Nobody expected that he would become such a key player for the team.
Alireza played 20 matches in PKL 12 and scored an amazing 197 raid points. This total makes him the fourth highest raider in the entire season. More importantly, he became the highest scoring overseas player in PKL 12. His average of 10.05 raid points per match shows how consistent he was throughout the season.
The Iranian raider completed 156 successful raids in 20 matches. His raid strike rate stood at 56 percent which is very good for a main raider. Alireza also contributed in defense with a few tackle points. His tackle strike rate was 19 percent. This shows he is a complete all-rounder who can help the team in both departments.
Bengaluru Bulls coach was very happy with Alireza’s performance. He said that Alireza is 100 percent the next big star from Iran. The coach praised his work ethic and how quickly he learned the team’s strategies.
Thanks to Alireza’s brilliant raiding, Bengaluru Bulls finished third in the points table. The team qualified for the playoffs comfortably. Alireza was definitely one of the most valuable players for Bulls in PKL 12. His performance this season has made him a player to watch in future seasons of Pro Kabaddi League.
2. Fazel Atrachali
Fazel Atrachali is one of the most famous names in Pro Kabaddi League history. The Iranian defender has been playing in PKL for many years now. This season, Dabang Delhi bought him for just 30 lakh rupees in the auction. This turned out to be one of the best bargain buys in PKL 12.
Fazel played 18 matches for Dabang Delhi in PKL 12. He scored a total of 54 points which included 51 tackle points. His tackle strike rate was 54 percent which is very respectable for a corner defender. Fazel finished as the seventh highest tackle point scorer in PKL 12.
When we look at Fazel’s overall PKL career, the numbers are simply amazing. He has scored 596 tackle points in 206 matches. This makes him the highest tackle point scorer in Pro Kabaddi League history. He is the only foreign player in the top 10 all-time tackle point scorers list.
Fazel has won the Best Defender of the Season award two times in his PKL career. He was part of U Mumba’s championship winning team in Season 2. The Iranian defender also led his teams in many other seasons. His experience and leadership qualities make him very valuable for any team.
In PKL 12, Fazel showed that age is just a number. Even though he is not at his absolute peak anymore, he still performed at a very high level. His positioning and timing in defense helped Dabang Delhi qualify for the playoffs. Young defenders in the team learned a lot by watching Fazel play.
For just 30 lakh rupees, Dabang Delhi got a legend of the game. Fazel gave them great value for money. He proved that class is permanent and form is temporary.
3. Ali Samadi
Ali Samadi joined Jaipur Pink Panthers as a new young player or in the base price category. Not many people knew about him before PKL 12 started. But the Iranian raider quickly made a name for himself with some strong performances.
Ali played 19 matches for Jaipur Pink Panthers in PKL 12. He scored a total of 126 points which included 111 raid points. His raid strike rate was 57 percent which is excellent for a secondary raider. Ali averaged 6.2 raid points per match which shows he was very consistent.
The Iranian raider scored four Super 10s in PKL 12. A Super 10 means scoring 10 or more raid points in a single match. This is a big achievement for any raider. Ali’s Super 10s came at very important times and helped Panthers win crucial matches.
One of Ali’s best performances came against UP Yoddhas. He scored a Super 10 and helped Panthers win that match easily. Against Bengal Warriorz, Ali again came up with a Super 10 performance. He scored key points in the second half when the match was close. These performances showed that Ali can handle pressure situations well.
Ali’s raiding was very good in different defensive situations. When there were six or seven defenders on the mat, he scored 70 raid points at 64 percent strike rate. With four or five defenders, he got 27 raid points at 42 percent strike rate. Even in super tackle situations with two or three defenders, he managed 14 raid points at 70 percent strike rate.
Jaipur Pink Panthers reached the playoffs mainly because of their strong raiding department. Ali Samadi was a big part of that success. In the Eliminator match against Patna Pirates, Ali tried his best but the team lost. Still, his overall performance in PKL 12 was very impressive.
4. Reza Mirbagheri
Reza Mirbagheri has been playing for Jaipur Pink Panthers since Season 9. The Iranian defender is a loyal player who knows the team’s systems very well. In PKL 12, Reza continued his good work in the defense department.
Reza played 18 matches for Jaipur Pink Panthers in PKL 12. He scored a total of 38 points throughout the season. His tackle strike rate was 44 percent which is decent for a defender. Reza also tried his hand at raiding sometimes but his raid strike rate was only 16 percent. This shows he is mainly a defensive specialist.
When we look at Reza’s overall PKL career, he has made 358 tackles out of which 169 were successful. In Season 10, he scored 9 Super Tackles which was the second highest that season. A Super Tackle happens when two or fewer defenders successfully tackle a raider. These tackles give the defending team two bonus points instead of one.
In PKL 12, Reza formed a strong defensive partnership with other Panthers defenders. The team’s defense was one of their strong points throughout the season. Against UP Yoddhas, Reza made a crucial Super Tackle on Ali Samadi of the opposition team. This tackle came at a very important time and helped Panthers gain momentum.
Jaipur Pink Panthers qualified for the playoffs and Reza played an important role in that achievement. In the Eliminator match against Patna Pirates, Reza defended well but the team could not win. Still, his consistent performances throughout PKL 12 made him a valuable player for Panthers.
5. Mohammadreza Shadloui
Mohammadreza Shadloui came into PKL 12 with very high expectations. Gujarat Giants bought him for a huge price of 2.23 crore rupees in the auction. He was the most expensive foreign player in PKL 12. Everyone thought he would lead Gujarat Giants to the playoffs and maybe even the championship.
Shadloui is a special player in Pro Kabaddi League history. He is the fifth highest tackle point scorer of all time with 391 tackle points in 109 matches. In the last two seasons, he won back to back PKL titles. In Season 10, he won with Puneri Paltan. In Season 11, he won with Haryana Steelers.
In PKL 12, Shadloui played 17 matches for Gujarat Giants. He scored a total of 65 points which included 37 tackle points and 28 raid points. His tackle strike rate was 45 percent and raid strike rate was 40 percent. He also made 2 Super Tackles and scored 2 High 5s.
These numbers might look okay but they are much lower than what people expected from Shadloui. In Season 11, he had scored 82 tackle points in 24 matches. In PKL 12, he got only 37 tackle points in 17 matches. This was almost half of his usual performance level.
The main reason for Shadloui’s poor performance was injuries. He kept getting small injuries throughout the season. These injuries did not let him play at his best level. His movement was affected and he could not attack raiders as aggressively as before.
The biggest blow came during a crucial match late in the season. Shadloui got injured and could not play. Gujarat Giants lost that match badly by 54-26. They were knocked out of the playoff race. If Shadloui had been fit and playing, the result might have been different.
For a price tag of 2.23 crore rupees, Gujarat Giants expected much more from Shadloui. The team management must be disappointed with how the season went. However, we cannot blame Shadloui completely because injuries are part of sports. He tried his best whenever he was on the mat.
Despite his poor season by his own standards, Shadloui still makes this list of top 5 Iranian players in PKL 12. This shows how high his reputation is in the kabaddi world. His experience and past achievements make him one of the most respected players from Iran.
The Impact of Iranian Players on PKL 12
Iranian players have made a huge contribution to PKL 12 this season. Alireza Mirzaian showed that young Iranian raiders can compete with the best in the world. Fazel Atrachali proved that experience and skill never get old. Ali Samadi gave Jaipur Pink Panthers a strong attacking option. Reza Mirbagheri provided solid defense throughout the season.
Even Mohammadreza Shadloui, despite his injury problems, showed moments of his class. All these Iranian players in PKL 12 made the competition more interesting and competitive. They brought different styles of playing kabaddi to the league.
Iranian defenders are known for their strong ankle holds and chain tackling. Iranian raiders are famous for their bonus point collections and running hands. These skills were on full display in PKL 12. Indian players also learned a lot by playing with and against these Iranian kabaddi stars.
The success of Iranian players in PKL 12 shows that Pro Kabaddi League has become a truly international tournament. Players from Iran come to India and perform at the highest level. This makes PKL one of the best kabaddi leagues in the world.
