Meraj Sheykh (born 26 May 1988) is an Iranian professional kabaddi player who last played for Dabang Delhi. He holds the first position for all-rounders in Pro Kabaddi League’s all-time scoring charts. His signature move – the Scorpion Kick – further accentuates his sharp reflexes and flexibility. The move requires a raider to turn towards the mid-line and then snap his back knee up to pick up a touch on a defender on the way back, similar to the sting of a scorpion.[1]

Meraj Sheykh
Personal information
Nickname(s)Cheetah, Magician Meraj
Born (1988-05-26) 26 May 1988 (age 36)
Sistan, Iran
Years active2014-present
Height175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight75 kg (165 lb)
Sport
Country Iran
SportKabaddi
PositionAll-Rounder
KabaddiPro Kabaddi League
Club
TeamIran National Kabaddi Team

Early life

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He was born in Iran and began playing at a young age. Before playing Kabaddi, Sheykh was a professional wrestler for 10 years and his experience in the ring has helped him be quick and agile on the mat.[citation needed]

Kabaddi career

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VIVO Pro Kabaddi

Season 2

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He made his debut in Season 2 with Telugu Titans and became the first foreign player to captain a Pro Kabaddi side when he was selected as their skipper for the second half of the campaign. Sheykh scored 29 raid points and 9 tackle points in his first season with the Titans.[1]

Season 3

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Season 3 of Pro Kabaddi saw Sheykh score 27 raid points and 21 tackle points before changing allegiances in the following campaign.[1]

Season 4

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The fourth edition of Pro Kabaddi witnessed Sheykh move to Dabang Delhi, where he was made captain. The Iranian all-rounder seemed to enjoy the added responsibility and scored 63 raid points as well as 12 tackle points.[1]

Season 5

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Season 5 was Sheykh’s most successful in terms of points return. He scored 96 raid points, 8 tackle points and also completed 50 tackle points in league history. His total of 104 points made him the best all-rounder in the fifth edition of Pro Kabaddi.[1]

Season 6

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In the sixth season, Sheykh continued to raid with great success and scored 94 raid points. However, the Iranian only managed 3 tackle points from 19 matches.[1]

Iran Kabaddi team

He represented his country in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup final, where they finished runners-up to India.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Kabaddi, Pro. "Player profile". prokabaddi. prokabaddi. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Kabaddi World Cup: India beat Iran to win third consecutive title". The Times of India. 22 October 2016.