In a sport where raiders often grab the limelight, Manjeet Chhillar stands out on his own as one of the finest all-rounders that kabaddi has seen. The leading Tackle Points scorer (339) in Pro Kabaddi history, Manjeet has a total of 563 PKL points and has enjoyed plenty of success in his career. An Arjuna Award recipient and Pro Kabaddi’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in Season 2, Manjeet has also won the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup and the 2018 Dubai Kabaddi Masters with India. What sets him apart from the rest is his ability to contribute at both ends of the mat and even though he’s been on the wane in the past few seasons, here we have a look at his best Pro Kabaddi performances.
Dabang Delhi K.C. VS Bengaluru Bulls, Match 2 (PKL 1) - 15 points
Manjeet’s best Pro Kabaddi performance in terms of points came in just the second match of the inaugural season when everybody first got a glimpse of what the all-rounder known as the on-man machine was capable of doing. While taking on Dabang Delhi K.C. in Bengaluru Bulls’ colours, Manjeet produced a masterful display that saw him finish the match with a total of 15 points to help his team register a 42-28 win. His all-round ability was evident for all to see in the game as finished with a Super 10 courtesy 10 raid points as well as a High 5 for five tackle points in defence.
Puneri Paltan VS Bengaluru Bulls, Match 16 (PKL 1) - 15 points
Dabang Delhi K.C. weren’t the only team to come up on the wrong end of an unstoppable Manjeet. Puneri Paltan – a team he would go on to represent in the future – were also given a first-hand exhibition of what he’s capable of. Even though Bengaluru Bulls went on to lose the game, Manjeet could hold his head high following another clinical showing at either end of the mat. He finished the match with four tackle points and a Super 10 – 10 touch and 1 bonus points – as Pune edged Bengaluru 31-30 in a close contest.
Bengal Warriors VS Puneri Paltan, Match 15 (PKL 3) - 13 points
His 13-point effort in Season 3 for Puneri Paltan, which went in vain as Bengal Warriors won the contest 33-28, was another outstanding all-round display by Manjeet. He tried to grab the match by the scruff of the neck and managed to do well to a certain degree in a team that also featured the likes of Ajay Thakur and Deepak Hooda. The lack of support from his teammates was a major reason behind the loss as he finished the match with six raid points – three touch as well as three bonuses – and also bagged a High 5 with seven tackle points, including three Super Tackles.
Puneri Paltan VS Jaipur Pink Panthers, Match 24 (PKL 3) - 13 points
Nine matches later in Season 3, Manjeet was delivering another inspiring effort on the mat for Puneri Paltan and this time, with the help of teammate Thakur, scorer of 11 raid points in the encounter, managed to play out a 32-32 tie against Season 1 champions Jaipur Pink Panthers. Manjeet, though, was once again the team’s talisman and led from the front with 13 points. He picked up another High 5 for his display, having finished the contest with seven Tackle Points and also managed six touch points while raiding.
Puneri Paltan VS Bengaluru Bulls, Match 55 (PKL 4) - 11 points
Manjeet has enjoyed plenty of 11-point efforts in Pro Kabaddi over the years but perhaps the most memorable of those came while he was representing Puneri Paltan against his former side Bengaluru Bulls in Season 4. He led Puneri Paltan to a 36-33 win and top-scored in the match with 11 points that ultimately proved to be the difference between the teams. Unlike most of his 11-point displays, this time, Manjeet relied solely on his defensive attributes as he nursed an injury. He attempted 12 tackles on the night and was successful with 11 Tackle Points in what was a match-winning display.
Feature image courtesy: ProKabaddi.com
