Top 5 Foreign Players in PKL History

Kabaddi was born in India, but the Pro Kabaddi League has never been an India-only story. Since the first season back in 2014, overseas players have crossed the mat alongside the home stars, raising the standard, adding fresh styles and helping the sport reach a much wider audience. Including Iran and South Korea, 18 countries in total have sent a steady stream of talent to the league, and the two-foreign-players-per-team rule has kept the international flavour alive season after season.

Some of these players did more than just fill a slot in the squad. They became captains, match winners, record breakers and, in a few cases, the face of their franchise. Ranking them is never easy, but based on their impact, longevity and the numbers they have put on the board, here are the top five foreign players in PKL history. All statistics are career totals across their PKL appearances.

1. Fazel Atrachali (Iran)

If you had to pick one player to sum up the foreign influence on the Pro Kabaddi League, it would be Fazel Atrachali. The Iranian left corner, known to fans as the Sultan, became the first overseas player to captain a side in the league, and he wore that responsibility as if he were born to it. He is also the first player in PKL history to cross 500 tackle points, a landmark that says everything about how consistent he has been over the years.

The defensive numbers are the ones that matter here, and they are remarkable. Across 207 matches, Fazel has piled up 597 tackle points, the bedrock of his 612 total points. He has recorded 36 High 5s and 36 Super Tackles, made 1,040 tackles in all at a 54 per cent success rate, and averaged 2.71 successful tackles per match. His not-out percentage of 83.33 shows just how hard he was to get past on the corner.

Beyond the raw figures, Fazel has been a serial winner and a leader of men. His multiple Best Defender awards mark him out as the finest overseas defender the league has seen, and his calm, organising presence turned the units around him into champions. For a whole generation of fans, he is the player who proved a foreign star could not only compete in PKL but define it.

2. Mohammadreza Shadloui (Iran)

Mohammadreza Shadloui is the modern face of Iranian dominance in the league. A genuine all-rounder, he can wreck a raid with a bone-crunching tackle one moment and pick up crucial points on the raid the next. That rare mix made him an MVP winner and one of the most sought-after names at the auction table.

His career return of 513 points in 109 matches is split neatly across both departments. On defence he has 391 tackle points, 34 High 5s, 21 Super Tackles and a strong 54 per cent tackle success rate, averaging 3.39 successful tackles per match. On the flip side he has added 122 raid points from 308 raids, including four Super Raids, and his not-out percentage of 86.68 underlines how safe a pair of hands he is on the mat.

Shadloui also rewrote the money side of the story. He shattered auction records, fetching above Rs 2 crore on more than one occasion, and he backed up every rupee with silverware. He won back-to-back PKL titles, first with Puneri Paltan in Season 10 and then with Haryana Steelers in Season 11, driven by his ferocious tackling and his handy raiding. Few players have influenced results as directly as he has.

3. Jang Kun Lee (South Korea)

Jang Kun Lee is the great trailblazer of overseas raiding. The South Korean spent years as the face of the Bengal Warriorz, and his speed, agility and knack for pinching bonus points made him a nightmare for defenders. He became the first foreign player to cross 400 raid points, a barrier that had long looked like the preserve of the Indian raiding greats.

His attacking output is the standout part of his profile. From 1,052 raids across 111 matches, Lee has racked up 474 raid points at a healthy 45.05 per cent success rate, with 14 Super Raids and nine Super 10s to his name. That works out at 4.27 raid points per match, comfortably the best raiding return on this list, and his 499 total points show just how much he carried Bengal’s attack.

More than the numbers, Lee remains a beloved icon of the league. He was one of the first overseas players fans truly adored, a raider who could light up a match on his own and a symbol of how far kabaddi had travelled beyond India’s borders. His years at Bengal helped build the fanbase the franchise still enjoys today.

4. Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh (Iran)

Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh is the kind of player every coach wants in the squad. A brilliant utility all-rounder, he is known for his calm temperament under pressure and his ability to chip in with important points whether the game calls for a raid or a tackle. He rarely grabs the headlines, but he almost always shifts the balance of a match.

His career figures show that all-round value clearly. In 95 matches he has scored 310 points in total, with 225 of those coming from raids across 607 attempts, including six Super Raids and two Super 10s, at 2.36 raid points per match. He has also contributed 85 tackle points, nine Super Tackles and 204 tackles in defence, a useful return for an all-rounder, and his not-out percentage sits at a solid 80.56.

Nabibakhsh saved his best for the biggest stage. He was a key figure in the Bengal Warriorz side that won the championship, chipping in with the sort of crucial all-round points that decide finals. When captain Maninder Singh was injured, it was Nabibakhsh who stepped up to lead the side through the playoffs, a mark of the trust the team placed in the level-headed Iranian.

5. Abozar Mohajermighani (Iran)

Abozar Mohajermighani is a rock-solid right corner defender. Where some corners rely on timing and patience, Mighani built his game on power. His dashes and blocks were among the most feared in the league, the kind that could send a raider tumbling out of bounds in an instant.

His defensive record backs up that reputation. Over 89 matches, he has 203 tackle points from 396 tackles, along with 16 Super Tackles and eight High 5s, at a 47 per cent tackle success rate and 2.1 successful tackles per match. Most telling of all is his not-out percentage of 92.3, the highest on this list, proof of just how difficult he was to shift once he set himself on the corner.

Mighani is best remembered for the partnerships he formed rather than for chasing individual glory. Lining up alongside Fazel Atrachali, he was one half of a fearsome Iranian defensive pairing that anchored several successful seasons. Two strong corners working in tandem is the foundation of any good defence, and Mighani gave his sides exactly that for years.

How foreign players turned PKL into a global league

The Pro Kabaddi League has always kept the door open to overseas talent. Each franchise is allowed to sign foreign players, and the rule of two overseas players in the starting seven has guaranteed that international stars share the mat with the Indian greats every season. It is a small rule with a big effect.

That policy has been a two-way street. Countries such as Iran and South Korea have used the exposure of PKL to sharpen their players, and the results have shown up at the Asian Games and the Kabaddi World Cup, where these nations now push India hard. In turn, the arrival of players like Fazel Atrachali and Jang Kun Lee lifted the standard of the league and gave fans new heroes to follow.

This is how a sport that once lived only in Indian villages has grown into a genuine global competition. The five players on this list are proof of that journey. They came from abroad, adapted to the biggest stage kabaddi has, and left records and memories that Indian fans still talk about. Their success is the clearest sign that PKL has become a truly international league.

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