Top 5 defenders of PKL season 8 league stage

'Kabaddi is nothing but a game of perfect balance between holding on and letting go and I guess, that’s what makes it beautiful.’

Season 8 of the Vivo Pro Kabaddi league has been a perfect example of this quote. Throughout the league stage, raiders have given their best to lead their team to victory. On the other hand, defenders, with their patience, have shown us some of the most beautiful tackles this season. This season has brought out a huge amount of youngsters who can qualify for the list of emerging players. The tournament has escalated from the league stage and is moving towards the playoffs starting on 21st February 2022. Patna Pirates and Dabang Delhi have already qualified for the semi-finals as they have fixed themselves in the first two positions of the points table. Now, we shall shed light on some of the best defenders of the league stage who have impressed us with their outstanding performances. Note, this list is based on the league stage and will change after the playoffs. Follow Kabaddi Adda for more details.

Let’s look at the list.

1. Sagar - Topping the table is none other than Tamil Thalaivas right corner, Sagar. With a whopping total of 82 tackle points in 22 matches, he has outperformed this season. Sagar is just competing for the second time in the Pro Kabaddi League and with his performance, Tamil Thalaivas’s selectors are going to be very pleased with him. Tackling at an average of 3.73 points per match, he has managed to register 8 high 5’s and 8 super tackles under his name. He is holding the second position for both of those categories. Lastly, he is the second most successful tackler with 74 points. Sagar’s sheer performance is going to make him one of the most important players on his team for the upcoming season.

2. Mohammadreza Chiyaneh - Mohammadreza Chiyaneh of the Patna Pirates, is currently the talk of the town. His consistent performance in the last few matches has made him his coach’s favourite defender. He has over 81 raid points in 22 matches with an average of 3.68 points per match. He is leading the category of most successful tackles and the most number of High 5’s. Chiyaneh has 9 high 5’s under his name and 78 successful tackles. In terms of super tackles, he has 3 registered under his name. Overall, the Iranian looks to be playing his best season so far with a possibility of becoming the number 1 defender of season 8.

3. Jaideep - Haryana Steeler’s Jaideep is currently holding the third position as he slipped down from the number 1 position. Scoring 66 points in 22 matches, he wore the orange band for the first half of the tournament. Jaideep raided at an average of 3.0 per match with 5 high 5’s and 5 super tackles. Last but not the least, Jaideep has 61 successful tackles registered under his name. Just as Haryana was hung upon Vikas Kandola for raiding, they had high hopes on Jaideep after his ferocious performance in the first half of the season. To be honest, he kept his promise as he managed to get a high 5 in their last match hoping for a victory.

4. Saurabh Nandal - Leading the Bengaluru Bulls in the defence department, Saurabh has scored 61 points in 22 matches with an average of 2.77 points per match. Season 8 under the southern franchise has been nothing but a delight for Saurabh. He added 2 high 5’s and 6 super tackles under his name. On the other hand, he ranks 4th in the list of most successful tackles with a total of 55 points. Just like Mohammadreza, he too has a chance to climb up this ladder as the other players won’t be playing in the playoffs.

5. H.C Rinku - Playing for the U Mumba franchise, Rinku has been the most successful defender for his team. Even though Mumba went through a rough season, Rinku kept the fan’s hopes high with his beautiful performance. He has scored 60 points in 22 matches with an average of 2.73 points per match. In addition, he holds 4 high 5’s and 7 super tackles under his name. He has successfully tackled 53 times this season helping him register his place in the top 5 defenders list.