PKL Best Raider and Best Defender of Every Season: Season 1 to Season 12
Every season, the PKL best raider and best defender define how the Pro Kabaddi League is remembered. Raiders like Pardeep Narwal and Pawan Kumar Sehrawat have produced record-breaking campaigns, while defenders like Fazel Atrachali and Mohammadreza Shadloui have built entire title runs around tackles. This guide lists the top raider and top defender of every season from Season 1 to Season 12, explains the difference between leading the stats and winning the award, and looks at who could claim the honours in Season 13.
PKL Best Raider of Every Season
| Season | Best Raider | Team | Raid Points | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Anup Kumar | U Mumba | 155 (16 matches) | Most raid points |
| Season 2 | Kashiling Adake | Dabang Delhi | 114 (14 matches) | Most raid points |
| Season 3 | Pardeep Narwal | Patna Pirates | 116 (16 matches) | Most raid points |
| Season 4 | Rahul Chaudhari | Telugu Titans | 146 (16 matches) | Most raid points |
| Season 5 | Pardeep Narwal | Patna Pirates | 369 (26 matches) | Most raid points |
| Season 6 | Pawan Kumar Sehrawat | Bengaluru Bulls | 271 (24 matches) | Most raid points |
| Season 7 | Pawan Kumar Sehrawat | Bengaluru Bulls | 346 (24 matches) | Most raid points |
| Season 8 | Pawan Kumar Sehrawat | Bengaluru Bulls | 304 | Raider of the Season |
| Season 9 | Bharat Hooda | Bengaluru Bulls | 279 (23 matches) | Raider of the Season |
| Season 10 | Ashu Malik | Dabang Delhi K.C. | 276 | Raider of the Season |
| Season 11 | Devank Dalal | Patna Pirates | 301 (24 matches) | Raider of the Season |
| Season 12 | Ayan Lohchab | Patna Pirates | 316 | Raider of the Season |
PKL Best Defender of Every Season
| Season | Best Defender | Team | Tackle Points | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Manjeet Chhillar | Bengaluru Bulls | 51 (16 matches) | Most tackle points |
| Season 2 | Ravinder Pahal | Dabang Delhi | 60 | Most tackle points |
| Season 3 | Manjeet Chhillar | Puneri Paltan | 61 (15 matches) | Most tackle points |
| Season 4 | Fazel Atrachali | Patna Pirates | 52 (16 matches) | Most tackle points |
| Season 5 | Surender Nada | Haryana Steelers | 80 (21 matches) | Most tackle points |
| Season 6 | Nitesh Kumar | UP Yoddha | 100 (25 matches) | Most tackle points |
| Season 7 | Fazel Atrachali | U Mumba | 82 (24 matches) | Most tackle points |
| Season 8 | Mohammadreza Shadloui | Patna Pirates | 89 | Defender of the Season |
| Season 9 | Ankush | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 89 | Defender of the Season |
| Season 10 | Mohammadreza Shadloui | Puneri Paltan | 99 | Defender of the Season |
| Season 11 | Nitesh Kumar | Tamil Thalaivas | 77 (22 matches) | Defender of the Season |
| Season 12 | Navdeep | Patna Pirates | 73 | Defender of the Season |
The Season 11 Defender of the Season, Nitesh Kumar of Tamil Thalaivas, is a different player from the veteran Nitesh Kumar who led the tackle charts for UP Yoddha in Season 6.
Key Takeaways
- Pawan Kumar Sehrawat topped the raiding charts three seasons in a row (Seasons 6 to 8).
- Pardeep Narwal’s 369 raid points in Season 5 is the biggest single-season total in this list.
- Mohammadreza Shadloui won Defender of the Season twice, in Seasons 8 and 10.
- Fazel Atrachali led the tackle charts twice, in Seasons 4 and 7, before becoming Season 12 MVP.
- Patna Pirates produced both the best raider and the best defender in Season 12.
Leading the Stats vs Winning the Award
The top raid points scorer does not always win Raider of the Season. Season 9 is the clearest example. Arjun Deshwal scored 296 raid points for Jaipur and was named MVP, but the Raider of the Season award went to Bharat Hooda of Bengaluru Bulls, who scored 279. In Season 10, Ashu Malik and Arjun Deshwal tied on 276 raid points, and Ashu received the award.
| Season | Award Winner | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Season 9 | Bharat Hooda (279) | Arjun Deshwal had more raid points (296) and won MVP |
| Season 10 | Ashu Malik (276) | Tied with Arjun Deshwal on raid points |
| Season 11 | Devank Dalal (301) | Tied with Ashu Malik for most Super 10s (18) |
PKL Best Raider: Records and Patterns
The Pawan Sehrawat Era
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat led the raiding charts in Seasons 6 and 7 and then retained the Raider of the Season award in Season 8, scoring 304 raid points with 18 Super 10s. He was also Season 6 MVP as Bengaluru won the title.
Pardeep Narwal’s Record Season
Pardeep’s 369 raid points in 26 matches in Season 5 came during a longer season, but it remains the standard by which great raiding seasons are measured. He also topped the charts in Season 3.
Patna’s Raiding Tradition
Patna Pirates have produced the best raider in four seasons: Pardeep Narwal in Seasons 3 and 5, Devank Dalal in Season 11 and Ayan Lohchab in Season 12.
| Team | Best Raider Seasons | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Patna Pirates | 3, 5, 11, 12 | 4 |
| Bengaluru Bulls | 6, 7, 8, 9 | 4 |
| Dabang Delhi K.C. | 2, 10 | 2 |
| U Mumba | 1 | 1 |
| Telugu Titans | 4 | 1 |
PKL Best Defender: Records and Patterns
The Iranian Influence
Iranian defenders have dominated the tackle charts. Fazel Atrachali led in Seasons 4 and 7, and Mohammadreza Shadloui won Defender of the Season in Seasons 8 and 10. Shadloui’s 99 tackle points in Season 10 included 11 High 5s.
The 100-Point Season
Nitesh Kumar’s 100 tackle points for UP Yoddha in Season 6 is the only time in this list that a defender reached three figures in a season.
Young Defenders Rising
Recent seasons have rewarded young defenders. Ankush won as a Jaipur youngster in Season 9, Nitesh Kumar of Tamil Thalaivas won in Season 11, and Navdeep, who started at Patna on a New Young Player deal, won in Season 12.
| Team | Best Defender Seasons | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Patna Pirates | 4, 8, 12 | 3 |
| Bengaluru Bulls | 1 | 1 |
| Dabang Delhi | 2 | 1 |
| Puneri Paltan | 3, 10 | 2 |
| Haryana Steelers | 5 | 1 |
| UP Yoddha | 6 | 1 |
| U Mumba | 7 | 1 |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers | 9 | 1 |
| Tamil Thalaivas | 11 | 1 |
Season 12 Raiding and Defending Leaders
| Category | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raid points | Ayan Lohchab, 316 | Devank Dalal, 271 | Bharat Hooda, 230 |
| Tackle points | Navdeep, 73 | Jaideep Dahiya, 68 | Nitesh Kumar, 65 |
| Super 10s | Ayan Lohchab, 16 | Devank Dalal, 15 | Alireza Mirzaeian, 13 |
| Super tackles | Jaideep Dahiya, 13 | Navdeep, 8 | Lokesh Ghosliya, 6 |
Both Season 12 awards came with INR 15 lakh in prize money. More details are in our PKL prize money guide and the full statistical picture is on our PKL records page.
PKL Best Raider and Defender vs MVP
Winning Raider or Defender of the Season does not guarantee the MVP award. The table compares the winners from Seasons 8 to 12.
| Season | Raider of the Season | Defender of the Season | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 8 | Pawan Kumar Sehrawat | Mohammadreza Shadloui | Naveen Kumar |
| Season 9 | Bharat Hooda | Ankush | Arjun Deshwal |
| Season 10 | Ashu Malik | Mohammadreza Shadloui | Aslam Inamdar |
| Season 11 | Devank Dalal | Nitesh Kumar | Mohammadreza Shadloui |
| Season 12 | Ayan Lohchab | Navdeep | Fazel Atrachali |
In every season from 8 to 12, the MVP was a different player from the Raider of the Season. The complete MVP history is in our PKL MVP list.
New Young Player of the Season Winners
| Season | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Season 8 | Mohit Goyat | Puneri Paltan |
| Season 9 | Narender | Tamil Thalaivas |
| Season 10 | Yogesh | Dabang Delhi K.C. |
| Season 11 | Ayan Lohchab | Patna Pirates |
| Season 12 | Deepak Sankar | Bengaluru Bulls |
Ayan Lohchab won the young player award in Season 11 and Raider of the Season a year later, showing how quickly young talent can rise.
Who Could Be the Best Raider and Defender in Season 13?
| Award | Contenders | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best raider | Ayan Lohchab, Devank Dalal, Bharat Hooda | Top three raid point scorers of Season 12 |
| Best defender | Navdeep, Jaideep Dahiya, Nitesh Kumar | Top three tacklers of Season 12 |
Auction moves could change everything, since a player’s role and minutes depend on his new team. Squad details are in our guides, such as the Patna Pirates squad post.
PKL Best Raider: Biggest Single-Season Totals in This List
| Player | Season | Raid Points |
|---|---|---|
| Pardeep Narwal | Season 5 | 369 |
| Pawan Kumar Sehrawat | Season 7 | 346 |
| Ayan Lohchab | Season 12 | 316 |
| Pawan Kumar Sehrawat | Season 8 | 304 |
| Devank Dalal | Season 11 | 301 |
Ayan Lohchab’s 316 raid points rank among the best totals by any PKL best raider, and he achieved it in an 18-match league stage plus playoffs.
PKL Best Defender: Biggest Single-Season Totals in This List
| Player | Season | Tackle Points |
|---|---|---|
| Nitesh Kumar | Season 6 | 100 |
| Mohammadreza Shadloui | Season 10 | 99 |
| Mohammadreza Shadloui | Season 8 | 89 |
| Ankush | Season 9 | 89 |
| Fazel Atrachali | Season 7 | 82 |
PKL Best Raider and Defender: Where Are They Now?
| Player | Award or Leading Season | Season 12 Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pawan Kumar Sehrawat | Seasons 6, 7, 8 | Tamil Thalaivas |
| Bharat Hooda | Season 9 | Telugu Titans |
| Ashu Malik | Season 10 | Dabang Delhi K.C. (champions) |
| Devank Dalal | Season 11 | Bengal Warriorz |
| Ayan Lohchab | Season 12 | Patna Pirates |
| Fazel Atrachali | Seasons 4, 7 | Dabang Delhi K.C. (MVP) |
| Mohammadreza Shadloui | Seasons 8, 10 | Gujarat Giants |
| Nitesh Kumar (young corner) | Season 11 | Tamil Thalaivas |
| Navdeep | Season 12 | Patna Pirates |
What Makes a PKL Best Raider?
- Consistency: Super 10s in match after match, like Ayan Lohchab’s 16 in Season 12.
- Do-or-die skill: scoring when the raid must produce a point.
- Multi-point raids: super raids swing matches quickly.
- Fitness: staying on the mat across a long season.
What Makes a PKL Best Defender?
- Tackle success rate: stopping raiders without giving away points.
- High 5s: five or more tackle points in a match.
- Super tackles: winning tackles when the defence is short of players.
- Partnerships: working with the cover and corner beside them.
Our raid points and tackle points guide explains these terms in more detail.
PKL best raider: Final Word
The PKL best raider and best defender awards show how the league has evolved, from Pardeep Narwal’s record season to the young Patna pair who swept both awards in Season 12. Each season brings new contenders, and the Season 13 auction will decide which teams give them the platform to compete. This page will add the Season 13 PKL best raider and best defender as soon as the awards are announced.
PKL Best Raider and Defender by Era
| Era | Leading Raiders | Leading Defenders |
|---|---|---|
| Seasons 1-5 | Anup Kumar, Kashiling Adake, Pardeep Narwal, Rahul Chaudhari | Manjeet Chhillar, Ravinder Pahal, Fazel Atrachali, Surender Nada |
| Seasons 6-8 | Pawan Kumar Sehrawat | Nitesh Kumar, Fazel Atrachali, Mohammadreza Shadloui |
| Seasons 9-12 | Bharat Hooda, Ashu Malik, Devank Dalal, Ayan Lohchab | Ankush, Mohammadreza Shadloui, Nitesh Kumar, Navdeep |
The early seasons were shorter, so totals were lower. From Season 5 onwards, with 12 teams and longer seasons, the PKL best raider regularly passed 270 raid points, and the best defenders often passed 80 tackle points.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the best raider in PKL Season 12?
Ayan Lohchab of Patna Pirates was Raider of the Season with 316 raid points.
Who was the best defender in PKL Season 12?
Navdeep of Patna Pirates was Defender of the Season with 73 tackle points.
Who has the most raid points in a single PKL season in this list?
Pardeep Narwal scored 369 raid points in 26 matches in Season 5.
Which defender has won the award most often?
Mohammadreza Shadloui won Defender of the Season twice, in Seasons 8 and 10. Fazel Atrachali led the tackle charts twice, in Seasons 4 and 7.
Why did Arjun Deshwal not win Raider of the Season in Season 9?
Arjun scored more raid points (296) and won MVP, but the Raider of the Season award went to Bharat Hooda, who scored 279.
Has any team had both the best raider and defender in one season?
Yes. In Season 12, Patna Pirates had both: Ayan Lohchab and Navdeep.
Who was the PKL best raider in Season 11?
Devank Dalal of Patna Pirates was Raider of the Season in Season 11, with 301 raid points in 24 matches.
Who was the best defender in Season 10?
Mohammadreza Shadloui of Puneri Paltan was Defender of the Season with 99 tackle points and 11 High 5s.
Which team has produced the most best raiders?
Patna Pirates and Bengaluru Bulls have each produced the best raider in four seasons in this list.
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