New Delhi: It is easy to construe Mohammadreza Shadloui’s bristling confidence as conceit. He walks around with the swagger befitting a rockstar, prowls on the mat with deadpan surety, cares little for reputations, and calls himself a showman. And, he backs the bluster with performances. Over the past few seasons, the 24-year-old Haryana Steelers all-rounder has steadily emerged as the young and audacious face of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) that’s into its second decade.
Shadloui is not the lone Iranian who has PKL besotted with his dazzling flair. Fazel Atrachali caught the fancy of kabaddi aficionados in India after his exploits in PKL over the years while the likes of Meraj Sheykh are still remembered for their innovative raids.
Fazel, the captain of Bengal Warriorz, recently became the first defender in the history of PKL to score 500 tackle points — a testimony to his longevity and obvious skills. He may have company soon, with Shadloui regularly matching his unbridled ambition with indisputable ability. With a tally of 329 tackle points along with 79 raid points in just four seasons (by the end of Steelers’ Friday’s game against Patna Pirates), it shouldn’t be long before Fazel’s 500-point record is surpassed.
“There are many who claim to be all-rounders in PKL, but I have proven that I can tackle and raid effectively. I adapt my game as per the team needs – whether it’s raiding or tackling,” Shadloui said. “Fazel has played 10 seasons in PKL to reach 500 points. I’ve achieved 300 in just four seasons. The numbers speak for themselves.”
The Iranian influence on the quintessential Indian sport is immense. It’s of little surprise that no season of PKL has gone without an Iranian representation. The inaugural season of the league had two players from Iran, and the number has surged to 13 this year. Shadloui has, for two consecutive seasons, remained the most expensive foreign buy, crossing the ₹2cr mark in seasons 10 and 11.
India captain and Telegu Titans raider Pawan Sehrawat shared the dressing room with Fazel in Season 5 at Gujarat Giants and the two have remained inseparable since. “I was just a youngster then and would barely get a game, but Fazel would tell me that I will become a star someday. I didn’t believe him then, but now, having achieved whatever I have, my respect for him has grown manifold,” the 28-year-old Arjuna awardee said.
Sehrawat and Fazel have squared off against each other in national colours too, and the big difference that the former has noted in the Iranians is their growing raiding capacity. “Shadloui is not a great raider but manages to stack up points because he is diler (fearless). In the past few years, they have some good raiders coming through,” he noted.
“Iranians are physically very fit. Their weight never goes beyond the 85-kg threshold. We have learned dietary discipline from them. Our boys have got into the habit of eating boiled chicken and grilled vegetables because of them. Iranians are super strong in tackles because of their power. Techniques like ankle hold and chest holds, which are a staple in the Iranian style, are offshoots of wrestling. Their reflexes and speed are superb too,” said Manpreet Singh, coach of Haryana Steelers.
E Prasad Rao agrees. The grand old man of Indian kabaddi, fondly called Kabaddi Rao, is the Technical Director of PKL and the International Kabaddi Federation and has seen the evolution of sport through four decades.
“If the last two Asian Games are an indicator, Iranians are super quick learners who have the potential to consistently challenge the Indian dominance,” Rao says. “That’s primarily because of their never-say-die attitude and physicality. On the contrary, our dominance is diminishing because of lack of national camps and international competitions.”
Three of the last four men’s kabaddi finals at the Asian Games were played between India and Iran, and while India emerged victorious each time, the margins have only gone down. The 37-20 scoreline in 2010 became 27-25 in 2014. Four years later, India’s loss to Iran sent shockwaves in Indian kabaddi before India eked out a 33-29 win in the ill-tempered final in Hangzhou 2023.
“The gap between the two sides has certainly reduced. We can’t afford to be complacent anymore, especially against Iran,” says Rao.
Fazel is more modest in his assessment. “There is still no match between India and Iran. You have thousands of players to choose from, whereas in Iran, there are no more than 700-800 amateur or professional kabaddi players. India can pick ten teams of international quality, not Iran.”
Kabaddi apart, a decade-long association with Iranians has forged some lasting bonds among the players. Sehrawat calls Fazel his ‘param mitra’ (best friend) while Bengal Warriorz raider Maninder Singh shares his Sidhu Moose Wala playlist with the Iranian. Sehrawat takes his Iranian teammates out for Irani chai, Gujarat Giants’ import Hadi Oshtorak is known to speak more than decent Hindi, and Bollywood star Amir Khan is a runaway favourite among most Iranians in PKL.
“I have always enjoyed playing in India. The amount of love and respect I have received here is unmatched. It is my second home,” said Fazel.
