Pardee Narwal, Fazel Atrichali, Anup Kumar, and other players become more popular and their careers become more successful. Passed Inter Grades with Kabaddi in India. Starting in 2014, the Kabaddi League (PKL) in India was the first league to be added to the already popular trend in Asia and the world.
Kabaddi takes the physical aspects of the sport in a wrestling manner. Over the years, it gained a more rapid audience with players like Narwal, Atrachali, and Kumar. Their tremendous skills on the offensive/wrestling side of the sport, as well as their tactical and defensive abilities, combined with record performances in tackles and other key attributes of the Kabaddi sport, helped make the sport more popular in India and Iran worldwide.
Pardeep Narwal: The Dubki King’s Raiding Revolution
From an early age of just 3 years old, Pardeep Narwal entered the field of kabaddi, and by 6 years he was playing competitive kabaddi. Under the keen eye of coach Naresh Narwal, Narwal perfected the art of “dubki” dive. Narwal made his debut in Season 2 of the Pro Kabaddi League, playing for the Bengaluru Bulls. Here, he used the kabaddi betting industry to score 92 raid points during 14 matches. With Narwal shining as a raider along with Rohit Kumar, their performances started attracting public interest. In Season 3 with Patna Pirates, Narwal stormed his way to his maiden Super 10, scoring 11 points in a 29-25 victory against Puneri Paltan, a performance which helped Patna win their first title.
His performance in the 2016 finals against U Mumba was also a memorable one when he scored 20 points, including a Super Raid. This performance helped U Mumba to a 36-22 victory, remarkable considering the fact that he was recovering from an injury.
In Season 5, Narwal represented Patna in the Kabaddi League and peaked at a point where he scored 369 raid points, a record. In the match against Gujarat Fortune Giants, Narwal made a huge 34 point total, including an 8 point raid, which was crucial for victory. He won the back to back MVP awards that season. Narwal was also a member of the Indian Kabaddi team, which won the Gold medal in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup against Iran.
Career milestones for Narwal include:
- 1,500 Raid Points: Unlocked in Season 9 against Gujarat Giants, a first in PKL history.
- 1,600 Raid Points: Surpassed on December 11, 2023, against Bengaluru Bulls in Season 10.
- Career Total: 1,801 Raid Points over 190 matches. His average was 9.47 points per game.
Post-Retirement: Narwal retired in June 2025 after going unsold in the PKL Season 12 auction. He now coaches at Narwal Sports Academy.
The Rise of International Talent in PKL
International participation in PKL tournaments is attracting talent. Overseas players, such as Fazel Atrachali, bring their global talent and distinctive style of play. Players from Iran, South Korea, and Bangladesh have integrated their unique styles with the more competitive South Asian systems of training. The South Korean raiders add the element of surprise with their unpredictable style. At the same time, the defenders from Iran focus on imposing their will, tackling physically, and improving the overall standard of defending in the league.
This has opened new styles of tackle training systems and delivered competitive results in cross-match competitions. A great number of matches are monitored and analyzed for betting, especially on MelBet Indonesia, which offers matches and odds on PKL tournaments. A great example is Iran’s Mohammadreza Shadloui, who contributed 284 raid points in Season 10, equaling Narwal’s raiding performance. They are also a major reason for the increase in viewership of PKL in the Asian market, especially in Iran, where viewership of Kabaddi broadcasts increased by 30% since 2018.
Fazel Atrachali: The Sultan’s Defensive Fortress
Fazel Atrachali, born on March 29, 1992, in Gorgan, Iran, began Kabaddi at the age of 11 after wrestling. His left-corner defense, featuring ankle holds, shone in PKL Season 2 with U Mumba, where he scored 12 tackle points in five matches. A seven-point game against Puneri Paltan highlighted his skill.
During Season 4 with the Patna Pirates, Atrachali had 52 tackle points, averaging more than 5 points per match. This included four High 5s, which are awarded to players when they successfully tackle five players per match. As the Best Defender of the season, he enhanced Patna Pirates’ Season 4 performance with three clutch tackles in the final against U Mumba, helping secure a 25-20 victory.
In Season 6, while captaining the Fortunegiants, he once again excelled defensively, adding 38 tackle points and leading the team to the semis. Atrachali’s standout performance in the eliminator against Bengaluru Bulls in the 2018 Season 5 playoffs was crucial in achieving the 45-39 victory. He had six tackles that forced two all-outs, changing the course of the match.
His time with Dabang Delhi KC saw him win titles in Season 8 and 10, and his teammates’ and his 2022 finals performance saw him win with a score of 37-34 while also neutralizing Narwal with five tackles.
Key Performances Table
| Player | Key Match | Team | Opponent | Contribution | Outcome |
| Pardeep Narwal | PKL Season 5 vs. Gujarat | Patna Pirates | Gujarat Fortune Giants | 34 raid points | 69-30 win |
| Fazel Atrachali | PKL Season 4 Final | Patna Pirates | U Mumba | 3 tackles in the final | 25-20 win |
| Anup Kumar | PKL Season 1 Final | U Mumba | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 12 raid points | 35-40 loss |
This data captures defining moments for each player and the culmination of their contribution in each of the pivotal games showcased.
Impact and the Evolution of Kabaddi
Narwal, Atrachali, and Kumar shaped modern Kabaddi’s early days. Yes, there are rivalry matches like Narwal and Atrachali in finals, where everyone had to refine strategies to win. Narwal, with his raid points, and Kumar, with his leadership, helped the PKL achieve 56% viewership growth by Season 11.
Narwal’s dubki is one of the innovations in raid and has boosted super raids by 20%.
Defensive benchmarks were also set by Atrachali, with a 63% tackle rate.
Kumar’s leadership from the World Cup was seen by and was a motivation to captains like Pawan Sehrawat.
The legacies of these great players were evident in the finals of Season 11 on December 29, 2024, where Haryana Steelers defeated Patna Pirates 32-23. Season 12 starts on August 29, 2025, with more Kabaddi tactics in Kabaddi.