All-rounders in kabaddi are a rare quality but quality all-rounders in Kabaddi are worth their weight in gold as they not only contribute while raiding or defending, good all-rounders are also able to slot in a number of defensive positions as per the team’s requirement which in a game like where there are always positions to fill in is a huge bonus. We look at 5 all-rounders who enjoyed superb seasons consistently scoring both raid and tackle points and were a class above the rest of all-rounders in PKL 6.Â
Deepak Hooda: Jaipur Pink Panthers filled their squad with number of stars like Anup Kumar, Mohit Chhillar, Selvamani, Sandeep Dhull and Deepak Niwas Hooda himself, but among these players Deepak Hooda was perhaps the only star player in Jaipur Pink Panthers team to enhance his reputation in PKL 6. The Haryana native for major portions of the season was literally a man army for the Pink Panthers toiling a lone battle with not enough support from his team. The 25-year old is the only player in PKL 6 to have Super 10 and a High 5 to his name further highlighting his all-round credentials. Not only did Deepak impress with his raiding and defending, the left raider also proved to be fine leader with leading from the front when Anup Kumar was missing through injury with Deepak largely responsible for Jaipur to avoid the wooden spoon.
Sachin Kumar: The U.P Yoddha left corner emerged as one of the unlikely heroes in U.P Yoddhas miracle run to the Bronze medal in PKL 6. The 29-year old was ridiculed in PKL 5 after suffering a nightmare season where he managed just 6 tackle points from 12 matches failing with 25 of his 32 attempted tackles. The Uttar Pradesh native proved his class first by displacing Sagar Krishna as U.P Yoddhas first choice left corner and surprised many by coming up with vital raid points to highlight his importance to U.P Yoddhas cause. The former Bengaluru Bulls defender was used to score points in a difficult situation when the opposition were mainly down to 3 men and Sachin duly delivered. Sachin Kumar’s performance in PKL 6 has surely seen his stock rise from a virtual nobody to one of the most sought-after all-rounders in PKL.
Ran Singh: Ran Singh was classified as an all-rounder but hardly did justice to the tag until this season where he contributed both defensively and offensively. The 30-year old was arguably Bengal Warriors best defender making far less errors than Captain Surjeet Singh Narwal. The former Jaipur Pink Panthers all-rounder scored 42 tackle points at a tackle strike rate of around 48% compared to 41% of Surjeet Singh. The Punjab native was used in a difficult situation where the opposition was down to 3 men and surprisingly had more success against 3 men than star raider Maninder Singh helping Bengal push teams closer to all-out. Ran Singh’s consistent all-round performances in PKL 6 means he is rightly regarded as one of the best all-rounders of PKL.
Sandeep Narwal: The “Beast” Sandeep Narwal had an indifferent PKL 6 due to a combination of form and fitness issues but nonetheless Sandeep Narwal still showed enough glimpses that he remains one of the best all-rounders of PKL. The right corner scored 41 tackle points and was especially dominant in Super Tackle situations managing 7 Super Tackles, the most by a Puneri Paltan player and overall only 3 players managed more. The Haryana native contributed valuable raid points with his super raid against Haryana Steelers helped Puneri Paltan make a record comeback. The 25- year old was the only Puneri Paltan player to record a Super tackle and a Super Raid.
Farhad Milaghardan: The Iranian perhaps didn’t enjoy the best of campaigns defensively but proved his worth to the Titans cause due to his all-round capabilities. The right cover was a constant presence for the Titans contributing equally in defense as well in raiding. The 30-year old scored 22 raid points and 25 tackle points and also displayed versatility by slotting in a number of defensive positions. The Iranian is especially an impressive defender in the Super tackle situation where he crouches low and makes it difficult for the raider to target him. The strongly built Farhad is a more than handy raider who is quick and utilizes his running kicks to a good effect.
