Dabang Delhi K.C.’s Yogesh stars as the only defender among the top debutants of PKL 10

For every young player growing up with aspirations of playing kabaddi, getting to the grand stage of the Pro Kabaddi League is the ultimate dream. And, once a player does reach the PKL stage, it takes them some time to adjust to the challenges and demands of the league. Lest we forget, acclimatising to the high-octane and pressure situations that come with the PKL seamlessly isn’t for everyone and takes time. However, there are a handful of players that take to Pro Kabaddi like a duck to water and here we have a look at some of the top debutants of PKL Season 10.    

Yogesh - Dabang Delhi K.C.

The Emerging Player of Season 10, Dabang Delhi K.C.’s right corner Yogesh enjoyed one of the best debut PKL campaigns by a defender in the season gone by. He finished as the highest tackle points scorer (74) for his team and was third in the overall leaderboard for tackle points. Yogesh also outperformed his more experienced teammates in defence like Vishal Bhardwaj and finished Season 10 with six Super Tackles, five High 5s and a 54 per cent tackle success rate. 

Nitin Kumar - Bengal Warriors

One of the most impressive new raiders to emerge from PKL Season 10, Bengal Warriors’ Nitin Kumar shone in offence in what was his Pro Kabaddi bow. He scored a whopping 169 raid points for the Warriors in his debut PKL campaign and was the perfect foil to skipper Maninder Singh, who scored just 28 more raid points than Nitin despite playing an extra match than the youngster in PKL 10. Nitin Kumar finished the season with four Super Raids as well as eight Super 10s and will go down as one of the finds of the campaign. 

Amirmohammad Zafardanesh - U Mumba

After being bought for INR 68 lakh to become the most expensive player on Day 2 of the PKL 10 auction, U Mumba’s Amirmohammad Zafardanesh lived up to his billing even though his team didn’t enjoy the best of seasons. The Iranian all-rounder was mighty impressive in Season 10 and was a bright spark for U Mumba as he accumulated 148 points, out of which seven were tackle points. He finished the season with two Super Raids as well as six Super 10s and is a star in the making for U Mumba.

Shivam Patare - Haryana Steelers

While Haryana Steelers’ run to the Season 10 final is highly credited to the performance of their defenders, their raiders’ contribution to the team’s cause cannot be ignored. One of their young raiders, in particular, caught everyone’s attention with his performances that saw him finish as the Steelers’ second-highest raid points scorer only behind the experienced Vinay. The raider in question is Shivam Patare, who in his debut PKL season took everyone by surprise with 120 points overall. He bagged 116 raid points as well as four tackle points and finished the campaign with three Super Raids, three Super 10s, and a Super Tackle to go along with his runners-up medal with the Steelers.

Sudhakar M - Patna Pirates

Patna Pirates’ young raider Sudhakar M was another player who impressed one and all with his confident showings in what was his debut Pro Kabaddi campaign. An electrifying presence who always keeps defenders on their toes on the mat, Sudhakar M was the third-highest raid points scorer (103) for his team. Not a bad tackler either as his one Super Tackle in PKL 10 suggests, Sudhakar M finished the season with two Super Raids and three Super 10s and seems to have a bright future ahead of him.

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