Early Life
Dharmaraj Cheralathan was born on 21 April 1975. Hailing from a farming family in Thiruchanampondi village in Thanjavur district of Tamilnadu, he considered farming really important while growing up. His siblings include one brother and two sisters. Dharmaraj’s brother D. Gopu is a right corner defender who also plays kabaddi.
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Dharamaraj Cheralathan International Career
Dharmaraj Cheralathan is a maestro in Kabaddi who has got an experience of more than 20 years starting from 1989. He is one of the most habituated defenders in the sport. He was one of the defenders in the Indian Kabaddi team which won gold at the Kabaddi World Cup in the year 2016. He consistently pairs his experience and tactics to outsmart the opposition raiders.
Dharmaraj Cheralathan Pro Kabaddi Career
Dharmaraj Cheralathan is a professional Kabaddi player who has been playing in the Pro Kabaddi League as a defender since the inaugural season. He made his debut with Bengaluru Bulls and in 2nd season he scored 42 tackle points for the Bulls, most in the squad.
In Season 3, he led the defence of Telegu Titans and scored 31 tackle points. His best achievement was with Patna Pirates where captained them to the title in Pro Kabaddi League Season 4.
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The veteran is best known for his ankle hold where he grabs the raider and pulls him back.
He will be donning the jersey of Haryana Steelers in the upcoming season.
Last Season Performance (Season 7)
Dharmaraj Cheralathan was chosen as the captain of the Haryana Steelers team in Pro Kabaddi League season 7. His exceptional qualities in leadership along with a team performance took Haryana Steelers into the playoffs where they lost to U Mumba. His focus on staying on the mat longer helped Haryana maintain stability.
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He scored 43 tackle points averaging 2 points per match. Although his contribution as a defender wasn’t significant, as a captain he was the inspirational figure, as well as the leading players, looked up to in the team. Young players like Vikash Kandola and Naveen kumar could benefit from having the experience of Anna in the team.
Personal Profile:
| Full Name | Dharmaraj Cheralathan |
| Nickname | Anna |
| Date of Birth | 21 Apr 1975 |
| Age | 45 years old (as in 2020) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Brother’s name | D. Gopu |
| Coach | Rakesh Kumar |
| Weight | 78.6 Kg |
| Height | 5’7” |
| Position | Defender |
| Signature Move | Ankle hold |
| Current Club | Haryana Steelers |
| Former Club | Bengaluru Bulls, Telegu Titans, Patna Pirates, Puneri Paltan and U Mumba |
Teams Played for
| Seasons | Teams |
| Season 1 | Bengaluru Bulls |
| Season 2 | Bengaluru Bulls |
| Season 3 | Telegu Titans |
| Season 4 | Patna Pirates |
| Season 5 | Puneri Paltan |
| Season 6 | U Mumba |
| Season 7 | Haryana Steelers |
Statistics:
| Total Matches Played | 118 |
| Total Earned Points | 302 |
| Most Points in a match | 9 |
| Not out percentage | 93.75 |
| Total raids | 176 |
| Successful raids % | 24.43 |
| Super 10’s | 0 |
| Total raid points | 43 |
| Average raid per match | 0.36 |
| Total tackles | 259 |
| Number of super tackles | 25 |
| Total tackle points | 259 |
| Average tackles per match % | 1.98 |
| Tackle strike rate % | 3.51 |
Season Wise Stats:
Raiding:
Tackling:
