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Tackling in kabaddi takes a lot more than just strength.

Timing the attempt to perfection is one of the most important aspects of a good tackle and that is what separates good defenders from the greats.

While plenty of defenders scored a plethora of tackle points in Season 7, which defenders were the most efficient on the mat? We take a look at the top 5 tackle point scorers with the highest strike rate (strike rate is calculated by dividing the number of tackle points by the number of tackle attempts and then multiplying it by 100) in Pro Kabaddi Season 7.

NOTE: This list only includes defenders with at least 30 tackle points in Season 7.

Nitesh Kumar – U.P. Yoddha

The only defender to hit triple figures for tackle points in a single season, U.P. Yoddha’s Nitesh Kumar was the defender with the highest strike rate at 61.47 in Pro Kabaddi Season 7.

 


Nitesh was joint-second for most Super Tackles in Season 7 with eight, trailing only Telugu Titans’ Vishal Bhardwaj and Bengaluru Bulls’ Mahender Singh.

The Right Corner has always been an extremely efficient tackler, as proven by his strike rate of 64.93 in a season where he scored 100 tackle points.

Fazel Atrachali – U Mumba

Trailing the league’s best Right Corner is perhaps the sport’s best Left Corner - U Mumba’s Fazel Atrachali.

His league-leading 82 tackle points came at a stellar strike rate of 60.74. What is surprising is despite ranking so high in the strike rate department, Atrachali doesn’t even feature among the top 10 Super Tackle scorers in the league. His five in Season 7 ranked 12th in the league, but his low Super Tackle numbers illustrate just how efficient he is as a defender.

Sandeep Narwal – U Mumba

While U Mumba’s Left Corner is perhaps the best defender in the game, their Right Corner, all-rounder Sandeep Narwal, is no slouch either.

Sandeep scored 56 tackle points in 101 tackle attempts, giving him an impressive strike rate of 55.44. The veteran, who is Pro Kabaddi’s all-time leading Super Tackle scorer with 28, managed just five in Season 7, illustrating that he too wasn’t too reliant on his the two points gained from each Super Tackle to boost his strike rate.

Vishal Bhardwaj – Telugu Titans

The league’s leading Super Tackle scorer comes in fourth with a strike rate of 55.35.

Bhardwaj averaged over five tackle attempts per game in Season 7, making him one of the highest volume tacklers in the league. He scored 62 tackle points, 18 of which came via Super Tackles, in 112 tackle attempts in Season 7.

Since his debut in the league in Season 4, no other player has scored more Super Tackles than Bhardwaj (21), and the young Left Corner is already fifth on Pro Kabaddi’s leading Super Tackle scorers.

Baldev Singh – Bengal Warriors

Starting Right Corner for the reigning champions, Baldev Singh ranked as the fifth most efficient tackler in Season 7.

With 66 tackle points in 120 tackle attempts, the beastly defender’s tackle strike rate of 55.00 was the second-best among Right Corners in Season 7.

Baldev’s tackle strike rate jumped from 38.57 in Season 6 to 55 this past campaign, showcasing a stark improvement in his tackling technique.

Feature image courtesy: ProKabaddi.com

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Fazel Atrachali - Defender, left corner Pro Kabaddi League