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          PKL 10 Rankings: Pardeep, Parteek and Shadloui among Players of the Week

          Pardeep Narwal had a stellar week for the UP Yoddhas PKL
          • Shyam Vasudevan
          Jan 4, 2024, 09:57 AM ET

          Week five of the Pro Kabaddi League [PKL 10] saw Pardeep Narwal produce some moments of magic, Parteek Dahiya do what no raider has done this season and Puneri Paltan continue their dominant run.

          ESPN India picks out five of the best performers of the week -

          Parteek Dahiya - Gujarat Giants

          What did he do? Scored an impressive 25 points vs Dabang Delhi. The youngster produced the best performance by a raider in PKL10 by absolutely decimating the Dabang Delhi defence. He bagged 22 raid points and also chipped in with three tackle points - a complete all-around power-packed performance.

          Fun fact: his uncle is former India kabaddi captain Deepak Niwas Hooda and his sister is Asian Boxing Championships bronze medallist Preeti Dahiya.

          What makes him special? The fact that he contributed with points in both, attack and defence. Oh, and he did not have a single unsuccessful raid in 22 attempts.

          Did he change the course of the game? He sure did. In a season where Gujarat Giants have struggled to identify a lead raider, Parteek took the chance that came his way and led his team to their third successive win.

          Pardeep Narwal - UP Yoddhas

          What did he do? Turned up when it mattered the most: in UP Yoddhas' home leg. The Dubki King bagged two Super 10s in four games, one of them including a stunning 21-point display.

          What makes him special? That he is finally finding his groove. Surender Gill has emerged as UP Yoddhas' first-choice raider as Pardeep hasn't been able to replicate his earlier success on the mat. But his performances in Noida have reinstilled faith among the UP Yoddhas faithful that Pardeep's still got it. There was one particular instance where he rolled back the clock: he was all but tackled by Puneri Paltan's Abinesh Nadarajan and Akash Shinde and just when you thought he was done, he fought his way out of their collective grasp to reach the mid-line for a splendid multi-point raid.

          Did he change the course of the game? Unfortunately, his stellar 21-point show against Patna Pirates went in vain, as did his seven raid points vs Dabang Delhi and his six raid points against Puneri Paltan. The only game that UP Yoddhas won was when he scored 10 raid points in a narrow win over Bengaluru Bulls.

          Sumit - UP Yoddhas

          What did he do? Has been their #1 defender this season and was brilliant through the Noida leg and bagged a total of 18 tackle points in three games.

          What made him special? That he can consistently dominate the left corner position is what sets him apart. He rarely ever has an off day, almost always comes to his side's rescue and it's no surprise that he leads the chart for most tackle points.

          Did he change the course of the game? He played an instrumental role in the win over Bengaluru Bulls [5 tackle points]. However, his best game, when he picked up seven tackle points, went in vain as they lost to Dabang Delhi.

          Ashu Malik - Dabang Delhi

          What did he do? Ashu Malik stepped up in Naveen Kumar's absence and scored two Super 10s and led Dabang Delhi to successive victories.

          What made him special? The fact that he not only assumed the role of a lead raider but also seamlessly took up the captaincy role and marshalled his squad well. There were questions raised when Dabang Delhi roped him in for Rs. 92 lakh and he showed just why the side spent big money on him with his fine performances this week.

          Did he change the course of the game? He single-handedly took on raiding responsibilities in the game against Dabang Delhi, while he repeatedly kept the scoreboard ticking to swing the momentum in his side's favour against UP Yoddhas. Both games ended with wins for Dabang Delhi, which extended their unbeaten run to four matches.

          Mohammadreza Shadloui - Puneri Paltan

          What did he do? Torment raiders with his iron-clad tackles and then torment defenders with his blink-and-you-miss-it pursuit raids.

          What makes him special? That he has not held himself back to just defending but has taken the risk to go ahead and raid as well. Along the way, he has also become the fastest defender in PKL history to claim 200 tackle points.

          Did he change the course of the game? He picked up five points [4 tackle + 1 raid point] against Telugu Titans and followed it up with another seven points [5 tackle and 2 raid points] against UP Yoddhas to ensure Puneri Paltan remain unbeaten.

          Honourable mentions: U Mumba's Rinku and Sombir put up terrific displays as they each picked eight points in their side's win against Telugu Titans, while Puneri Paltan's Mohit Goyat played like a true all-rounder to finish with 13 points [9 raid and 4 tackle points] in the victory over Telugu Titans. Oh and a special shoutout to Gujarat Giants' captain Fazel Atrachali, who became the first defender in PKL history to score 450 tackle points.