The 12th edition of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is set to commence on August 29, with a clash between Telugu Titans and Tamil Thalaivas in Vizag.
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The scheduled 108 matches of the league phase of the competition, where every team will face every other team in a double round-robin format, will be played till October 23.
As the Haryana Steelers look to defend their maiden title won in 2024, under the leadership of defender Jaideep Dahiya, TSN takes a look at the top defenders with the most tackle points in PKL 12.
READ MORE: Top raiders in PKL season 12: Updated list of players with most raid points
Top Defenders in Pro Kabaddi League Season 12
| Rank | Name | Team | Matches Played | Tackle Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nitesh Kumar | Tamil Thalaivas | 15 | 53 |
| 2 | Jaideep Dahiya | Haryan Steelers | 14 | 48 |
| 3 | Saurabh Nandlal | Bengaluru Bulls | 15 | 45 |
| 3 | Deepak Sanker | Haryana Steelers | 13 | 44 |
| 5 | Fazel Atrachali | Dabang Delhi | 15 | 44 |
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Top Defenders in Pro Kabaddi League Season 11
The Haryana Steelers' defender Mohammadreza Shadloui was the most successful defender of PKL 11, with 82 points in 24 matches. He helped his team clinch their first title of PKL, defeating the Patna Pirates by 32-33 in the final.
| Rank | Name | Team | Matches | Tackle Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohammadreza Shadloui | Haryana Steelers | 24 | 82 |
| 2 | Ankit Jaglan | Patna Pirates | 25 | 79 |
| 3 | Nitesh Kumar | Tamil Thalaivas | 22 | 77 |
| 4 | Yogesh Dahiya | Dabang Delhi KC | 22 | 75 |
| 5 | Nitin Rawal | Bengaluru Bulls | 22 | 74 |
| 5 | Hitesh | UP Yoddhas | 23 | 74 |
Top defenders in Pro Kabaddi League history
Iran legend and Bengal Warriors defender Fazel Atarachali has the most tackle points (545) in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League. The 33-year-old has represented U Mumba, Patna Pirates, Gujarat Giants and Puneri Paltan in the competition.
| Player | Current Team | Tackle points | Matches | Average tackle points |
| Fazel Atrachali | Bengal Warriors | 565 | 194 | 2.89 |
| PO Surjeet Singh | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 455 | 177 | 2.56 |
| Nitesh Kumar | Bengal Warriors | 419 | 156 | 2.70 |
| Sunil Kumar | U Mumba | 403 | 167 | 2.42 |
| Manjeet Chillar | Dabang Delhi K.C | 391 | 132 | 2.79 |
| Girish Maruti Ernak | U Mumba | 362 | 147 | 2.46 |
| Mohammadreza Shadloui | Haryana Steelers | 362 | 98 | 3.83 |
| Sandeep Narwal | UP Yoddhas | 360 | 156 | 2.30 |
| Parvesh Bhainswal | U Mumba | 356 | 167 | 2.17 |
| Vishal Bhardwaj | Puneri Paltan | 347 | 127 | 2.73 |
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