The job of the Defender is to stay on the mat as long as he can. As and when a Batch of Defenders completes 2:30 minutes on the Batch clock, they add a Dream Run to their team’s kitty. For every 30 seconds thereafter, two more points keep on getting added till the last Defender of the Batch is dismissed. It needs a skill which is difficult to master and stamina which can only be acquired through extreme fitness levels. Ultimate Kho Kho Season 1 remained witness to some brilliant defending performances. 

Here we take a look at the Defenders who spent most time defending on the mat in Season 1.

Ramji Kashyap - 21 minutes 48 seconds

He was an impact player not just in the attack but also in the defence. He spent most time defending on the mat than any other Defender in the competition. At no time did he look gassed out, as killing time on the mat looked like a fun activity for him. He looked in total control while defending for Chennai Quick Guns and had no trouble against the attackers. He got self out only once in the 10 matches that he played and had a not-out percentage of 20 %. He defended for almost 2:11 seconds on average in each game and in the entire season his defending time on the mat was 21 minutes 48 seconds.

Deepak Madhav - 20 minutes 23 seconds

He was the chief architect in the defence for Telugu Yoddhas and was the second-best only to Ramji Kashyap in the season. He never looked uncomfortable against any team’s attack. He got self out twice this season and had a not-out percentage of 9%. He showed his prowess in the defence and added valuable points for the Yoddhas. He had an average defending time of 1:42 seconds per game and ended up spending 20 minutes 23 seconds in the whole season as a Defender.

Pratik Waikar - 20 minutes 13 seconds

He was the leader of the pack for Telugu Yoddhas in most of the matches in the tournament and he also performed the defence duties really well as a player. He was one of the Defenders who used to tire the Attackers. He was a reliable asset as he made handy contributions to the defence department on his side. He always looked high on confidence when he walked on the mat as a Defender and had a not-out percentage of 22%. He scored points with effortlessness and there was no self-out error from him in any of the 12 matches that he featured in. With an average defending time of 1:41 seconds this season, he stayed on the mat for 20 minutes and 13 seconds. 

Sreejesh S - 17 minutes 35 seconds

In the initial stage of the tournament, he looked a class apart in the defence. He was way ahead of his competitors in the top defender’s race. He was the top Defender in the Mumbai Khiladis lineup. His primary role is of an Attacker but he showcased his defensive skills to good effect in this tournament. The Attackers had a tough time getting rid of him as he evaded them to have a not-out percentage of 5%. He had an average defending time of 1:46 seconds in the 10 matches he played. Overall, he spent 17 minutes and 35 seconds as a Defender throughout the season. 

Dilip Khandavi -  17 minutes 14 seconds

This little master made some gigantic moves in UKK’s inaugural season. The Attackers had a hard time keeping this Defender quiet on the mat. There was no self-out error seen from him this season and he had a 21% as not out in the 10 matches we saw him donning Odisha Juggernauts jersey. He made defending look easy with his dodging skills. On average he spent 1:43 seconds in each game and in total he stood tall for 17 minutes and 14 seconds as a Defender.