PKL 2019 | Combined 7 from Matchweek 1 ft. Ajay Thakur, Fazel Atrachali and Girish Ernak

10/16/2018

A total of 16 matches have been played so far, in the sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League where we have seen some breathtaking actions on the mat. Here on SportsCafe, we bring you a combined starting seven of the season so far, which features the likes of Ajay Thakur and Fazel Atrachali.

Ajay Thakur, Raider, Tamil Thalaivas - 59 raid points from 5 matches

Despite Tamil Thalaivas not doing that great in PKL season 6 so far, their skipper Ajay Thakur has certainly tried his level best in lifting the spirit of other players in the team with his raiding skills. One of the finest raiders on the international circuit, Thakur has performed as per his reputation so far in this league. He has 59 raid points from five home matches the team has played so far. He looked deadly with touch points especially while using his feet to get toe touches and his unbeatable talent of getting points by running hand touches as well. Apart from the 59 raid points, the Thalaivas captain has also got a tackle point to his name which takes his total number of points to 60. Thakur has three Super 10s so far in the season and the Thalaivas would want him to continue his form in the upcoming games. With the kind of form he is in, Thakur can easily walk into the starting seven.

Nitin Tomar, Raider, Puneri Paltan - 51 raid points from 4 matches

The star raider from Puneri Paltan has done exceptionally well so far in this season after his stint as a captain in UP Yoddha last season. He also has completed the half-century of raid points like Thakur and has 52 total points as he has been a live wire in the defence as well to help out his team in crunch situations of the game. He has managed to breach the opponents’ defence in more than one occasion that has proved to be very crucial for the Pune-based franchise in the Pro Kabaddi League. His good show in the raiding department has taken Puneri Paltan to the top of the Zone A points table with 14 points from four games and they have a positive score difference of 26. The raider, who plays for Services in National Championships, has two Super 10s to his name and is expected to be instrumental for Paltan this season like he was for UP Yoddha.

Pardeep Narwal, Raider, Patna Pirates - 41 raid points from 3 matches

The ‘Dubki King’ has also performed as per the expectation and has done well to keep his team Patna Pirates at the second position in the points table. Apart from the loss against Tamil Thalaivas, Patna has been successful in the tournament and the leader of the team has managed to secure 41 raid points from three games so far. He has displayed his own copyrighted move – ‘Dubki’ in many occasions to escape the tackle by the opposition defenders. Like Thakur, Narwal has also got three Super 10s to his name from three games which show signs of things to come with plenty of matches remaining in PKL 2019.

Girish Ernak, Left cover, Puneri Paltan- 16 tackle points from 4 matches

The captain of Puneri Paltan Girish Maruti Ernak has been as effective for the team in the defence as Nitin Tomar in the raiding department. Being primarily a defender at the left corner, he has also switched his role in the defence as and when required and gone on to the position of left cover. He has been good with his ankle and thigh holds as well as in body blocks. The Pune skipper has one High 5 to his name in PKL 2019 and his presence in the defence holds significance for other defenders as well.

Fazel Atrachali (C), Left corner, U Mumba- 14 tackle points from 3 matches

If someone asks me about the best left-corner defender in international kabaddi in the current generation, I will certainly mention Fazel Atrachali’s name. The Iranian has carved a niche for himself with some deadly ankle holds and he has been brilliant with these in the Pro Kabaddi League as well. He is doing the same for U Mumba what he does well for the Iran national team. His presence in the U Mumba team along with coach- Gholamreza Mahmoud Mazandarani has made the defence their strongest point this season as they are playing in the Iranian way. He has a total of 14 tackle points and not only ankle holds but he has a good number of body blocks to his credit in the season as well. He will be the captain of the side because of his calibre to stay calm and composed in a tense situation and has been seen exchanging ideas with the raiders as well. Fazel has also got one High 5 to his name and apart from his own tackles he has played a very vital supporting role for other Mumbai defenders.

Abozar Mohajermighani, Right corner, Telugu Titans- 8 tackle points from 2 games

With Fazel Atrachali at the left corner position, the presence of another Iranian Abozar will make the defence stronger. Abozar has starred for the Telugu Titans so far, and has been their best performer in the league so far in spite of the presence of Raid Machine- Rahul Chaudhari in the team. His score of eight tackle points from just a couple of games proves his importance in the Telugu Titans set up. His High 5 performer came in the game against UP Yoddha where the Titans beat them in a thrilling battle. He has been spectacular with his holds and dashes that has helped the Titans score more points in the defence when their raiding department is not performing as per the expectations. They are leading the points table of Zone B and the credit must go to Abozar for his show in the defence for the South Indian side in this season.

Sunil Kumar, Right Cover, Gujarat Fortunegiants- 7 tackle points from 2 matches

Sunil Kumar has been the only positive for the team from Gujarat in this season so far. The runners-up from season five haven’t won a single match so far this year but their captain has been in top form in the league with seven tackle points to his name in the two matches that Gujarat has played. He is a livewire on the mat at the right cover position and will get into the combined team so far because of his judgment of going for a tackle and presence of mind when an opponent is coming for a raid.