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Pro Kabaddi League 2024 will kick off tonight (Friday, October 18) in Hyderabad with a star-studded battle between Telugu Titans and Bengaluru Bulls. 10 other teams will also participate in this competition, but only one will get to put their hands on the trophy in December.
Last season, Puneri Paltan became the champions for the first time by defeating Haryana Steelers in the final. One of the major reasons why both Pune and Haryana made it to the summit clash in PKL 10 was that the two franchises had settled defenses that performed well as a unit.
It is a popular saying in the kabaddi world that raiders win you matches, but defenders win you tournaments. Every team aims to have a solid defense in the league, and it is common to see the top-performing defenders' teams in the upper half of the points table.
Before the first tackle of Pro Kabaddi 2024 is executed, here's a glance at the three players who can score the most tackle points in PKL 11.
#1 Mohammadreza Shadloui, Haryana Steelers
Mohammadreza Shadloui is the favorite to win the Best Defender award in PKL 11. The Iranian all-rounder has been on fire ever since he made his debut in the Pro Kabaddi League.
In season 10, Shadloui topped the defenders' leaderboard with 99 tackle points from 24 matches. He was just one tackle point away from becoming the first overseas player to complete 100 tackle points in a season.
Thanks to his extraordinary performance, Puneri Paltan won their first championship in PKL 10. This year, Shadloui has moved to the Haryana Steelers, who spent ₹2.07 crore for his services. It will be interesting to see if Shadloui can retain the Best Defender award and also help Haryana win their first title in PKL 11.
#2 Yogesh Dahiya, Dabang Delhi KC
Dabang Delhi KC's right corner defender Yogesh Dahiya was the breakout star for the franchise in season 10. Dahiya earned 74 tackle points in 23 matches and proved his team's coach Rambir Singh Khokhar's pre-season prediction of his Top 3 finish in the defenders' leaderboard accurate.
If Yogesh returns as a better defender in season 11, he can top the most tackle points list in Pro Kabaddi this year.
#3 Ankit Jaglan, Patna Pirates
Another breakout star from season 10 to feature on this list is Patna Pirates' left corner specialist all-rounder, Ankit Jaglan. Last year, Patna raised many eyebrows when they spent ₹31.5 lakh to acquire his services even though he was in the Category 'D' of all-rounders.
However, Ankit justified the price tag by scoring 66 tackle points in 23 matches. He narrowly missed out on the Top 10 list of the Most Tackle Points in PKL 2023/24. This season, Ankit will have more experience under his belt, and if he brings his 'A' game to the table consistently, the Patna star can win the Best Defender award.
