PKL 12: Top five defenders to watch out for in Pro Kabaddi 2025

Defenders aim to take the centre stage in the PKL 12 as the tournament kicks off on August 29.

Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has become one of the most followed leagues in India. Thanks to its popularity, the 12-team league is certain to get an exclusive window from September to November to host it in India. The success of the league should be attributed to the players who have put in extraordinary performances.

The Raiders generally take over most of the limelight as they tend to have more scoring opportunities. But the defenders are an integral part of any Kabaddi side as they break the opponent’s momentum by tackling the main scorer of the team. When a tackle is executed, most players on the mat will pounce on the player.

Although it’s just a point, the entire team working together to get it strengthens the team bonding. PKL 12 will see many such defenders in action, and here are the top five defenders who will attract the most.

Also Read: PKL 12 schedule undergoes major change; Delhi leg to begin earlier

Sagar Rathee (Tamil Thalaivas)

Sagar Rathee has become synonymous with Tamil Thalaivas since making his debut in season seven. He quickly moved into a leadership role post-Ajay Thakur and Manjeet Chillar era. He has been rock solid at the left corner a whopping 83 points in his first full season for the Thalaivas.

Next season saw him lead the side in the absence of Pawan Sehrawat, leading up to their first and only playoff appearance. His total points might have dropped, but his tackle success percentage has increased from 57 to 64 in two seasons. He missed out last season due to an injury. Hence, he would want to repay the faith and lead an inexperienced defensive unit.

Abinesh Nadarajan (Puneri Paltan)

Tamil Nadu has produced champion defenders with the likes of Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Jeeva Kumar being two big examples. Abinesh Nadarajan seems to be the next big thing from the southern state. The right cover defender has become an integral part of the Puneri Paltan defence. His performances have a huge say in the end result.

Puneri Paltan went on to lift the trophy in season 10, the only season in which he had a 50+ tackle strike-rate. The cover defender has done well in all four seasons, but he will have a new challenge this year as the Paltan’s will be without Sanket Sawant, who was their left cover since 2019. Abinesh would want to take his game next level to probably aim for his India debut.

Fazel Atrachalli (Dabang Delhi)

Dabang Delhi won their only title in season eight when they had four experienced defenders in Sandeep Narwal, Manjeet Chillar, Jeeva Kumar, and Joginder Narwal. The last of four is their current head coach, and he has adopted the same strategy to get the likes of Surjeet Singh, Saurabh Narwal, Amirhossein Bastami and Fazel Atrachalli.

Fazel has nothing to prove in PKL as he is the most successful defender. But the Sultan would strive for excellence. The left corner is known for his surprise back holds and thigh holds, and the fans would be hoping for the same. He might not be the skipper, but the Iranian will be one in charge of defence. Ashu Malik will be relying on the two-time PKL champion whenever he is off the mat.

Sunil Kumar (U Mumba)

Sunil Kumar is already the most successful Indian captain in the history of the league. After tasting success with Gujarat Giants, the 28-year-old moved to Jaipur Pink Panthers and took them to their second PKL title. Last year, the franchise made a calculated move to buy both Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal.

The move yielded instant rewards as the season two champions made it to the playoffs after three seasons. The Haryana-born Raider is one of the few defenders to have scored 50+ points in the last four seasons. He will again be the command-in-chief for the men in orange and if he could crack it again, Sunil could be entrusted with the captaincy role for the National team.

Jaideep Dahiya (Haryana Steelers)

No captain has successfully defended their title, and Jaideep Dahiya could become the first skipper to do so if he helps Haryana Steelers lift the title again. No one knows it better than the Steelers’ coach, Manpreet Singh, who has lost three PKL finals. Hence, Manpreet has built a strong squad which will aid Jaideep in the upcoming season.

Since his debut, Jaideep has been scoring 55+ points every season. Last year, when they lifted the title, the scoring was taken care of by Mohammadreza Shadloui. The recruitment of Naveen Express would boost their scoring opportunities, but Jaideep has to set up from the previous season. With usual suspects like Vinay and Rahul Sethpal in the team, Jaideep will have it easy in the upcoming season.

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