Pro Kabaddi League 2023: ‘Can’t Believe I Hold Several Records In PKL,’ Says Fazel Atrachali After 100th Match As Captain
Ahmedabad: Gujarat Giants’ captain Fazel Atrachali is amazed by the fact that the Iranian holds several records in the history of Pro Kabaddi League. Atrachali holds the records for the most tackle points (432) and most successful tackles (406) in the history of PKL. Leading from the front, Atrachali’s side registered their third consecutive victory in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 after defeating U Mumba 39-37 at the EKA Arena by TransStadia on Tuesday.
“Sometimes, I can’t believe I hold so many records in this competition,” Atrachali said. “My journey in the Pro Kabaddi League has not been easy. I was just looking for one chance when I entered PKL for the first time in Season 2.
“And now I am the most successful defender in PKL. It’s difficult for an Indian to become a star in PKL, so imagine how difficult it would be for a foreign player,” he added. Furthermore, Atrachali, who plays as a specialist defender in the side, tried his hand at raiding in his team’s match against U Mumba.
When asked about the same, he said, “I used to be a raider about ten years ago. I played as a raider for Iran in 2013. I was happy about how I effected my raid and I didn’t know that it was a Do-or-Die raid. I went in to carry out an empty raid, but I managed to clinch a raid point.”
Sonu led the charge for the Giants once again with 11 points in the game against U Mumba. Atrachali also lauded Sonu’s performance, “He has been the hero for the Gujarat Giants this season. He’s our game-changer. Rakesh also played well for us against U Mumba. We have a lot of good players and our team is well-balanced,” he said.
Giants’ head coach Ram Mehar Singh also heaped high praise for Sonu. “Sonu gives it his all in every raid. He uses his height brilliantly. We have told him to play his game and decide his own strategies. He has played very well in all three games. And when he does well, the rest of the team also gets motivated to put up good performances,” he said.