With the seventh season of the Pro Kabaddi League kicking-off on Saturday, takes a look at five players who can turn a match on its head with their all-round skills:
Manjeet Chillar (Tamil Thalaivas)
Manjeet didn't have a great season last year, but no one can ever overlook him. Due to his versatility in both raiding and defending, Manjeet is termed as a 'One Man Army'. He has the most overall tackle points in the history of the league (243). His blocking ability of a raider while defending is a thing which no one wants to face. He has amassed 522 points from 93 games. Alongwith Ran Singh, he adds more dept to the Thalaivas camp.
Ran Singh (Tamil Thalaivas):
Considered as a powerful all-rounder, Ran carries immense experience under his belt. After two seasons with Bengal Warriors, he was pocketed by Tamil Thalaivas this season. His signature move is 'Block' which requires immense strength. Ran has 90 raid points and 199 tackles points in his PKL career. He was also part of the Jaipur Pink Panthers squad that had won the title during the inaugural edition in 2014.
Meraj Sheykh (Dabang Delhi)
The Iranian star is known for staying calm under pressure and punishing the smallest of mistakes made by the opposition. His wrestling background has aided him while making a tackle and his signature move while raiding is the 'Scorpion Kick'. Meraj has scored 309 raid points as well as 53 tackles points in his PKL career. A lot will rely on him as Delhi aims for another good run this year.
Deepak Niwas Hooda (Jaipur Pink Panthers)
Hooda has been one of the most consistent all-rounders in the league since the inaugural season. After the first two seasons, he stepped up as the leading raider for Puneri Paltan in the next three seasons. Deepak has notched up 710 raid points and 75 tackle points in his PKL career so far. Hooda's signature move is his runnig hand touch and often proves to be a difficult proposition for opposition defenders. He also provides able back up for his team's defence.
Sandeep Narwal (U Mumba)
Sandeep is capable of changing the course of any game within seconds. He has scored 229 raid points and 254 tackle points in his PKL career. He is also currently sitting at the summit of the all-time list of players with the most Super Tackles (23). Under the guidance of his Iranian skipper Fazel Attrachalli, Sandeep could turn out to be a lethal weapon for U Mumba.
( With inputs from IANS )