New Delhi: The two-day Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2024 auction was recently concluded in Mumbai last week with a total of 118 players were sold across four categories. Ace Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali, who was placed in A category, was sold to Bengal Warriors for a moderate sum of INR 50 lakh.
Just a couple of years after being the most expensive defender in the PKL history, the 32-year-old defender’s magic has apparently vanished. He managed to pick 62 tackle points last season from 23 matches, finishing 13th on the list of defenders with most tackle points.
Once upon a time known for being a fiery defender in the left corner with his iron-clad tackles, Fazel failed to bag a retention from Gujarat Giants last season. Additionally, the franchise not using the Final Bid Match (FBM) card even when the Iranian was available for a reasonable price only speaks about the player running out of his prime days. Gujarat Giants coach Ram Mehar Singh is of the opinion that youngsters are doing better than the Iranian Sultan.
“I believe that Fazel Atrachali is a very good player. He is a star player, but every player has his prime. Now, Fazel’s reflexes are no longer the same. The youngsters are doing their best, perhaps better than Fazel. There is no doubt that no defender comes close to Fazel’s experience, but there is a time of every player,” Ram Mehar Singh told Sportskeeda after the PKL auction 2024.
“In the previous season, somewhere I felt that his speed, his reflexes, his reaction abilities have reduced. Those things bothered me. Hence, I have decided to give a chance to new players,” the coach added.
Fazel Atrachali leads the chart for most tackles in PKL
Fazel Atrachali became the first defender in the PKL history to complete 400 tackle points during a match between Puneri Paltan and Tamil Thalaivas in season 9. With 486 points from 169 matches, Fazel holds the pole position in defenders to amass most tackle points in the past 10 seasons of PKL. He has made 458 successful tackles with average tackle points of 2.88. He has 28 super tackles, which makes him the fifth-best defender in this category.
Once upon a time known for being a fiery defender in the left corner with his iron-clad tackles, Fazel Atrachali failed to bag a retention from Gujarat Giants last season. Kabaddi Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
