Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh

Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh is an Iranian kabaddi player who has become one of the most recognisable overseas stars in the Pro Kabaddi League. Listed as an all-rounder on the official PKL site, he made his name as a dependable tackler before adding more raiding to his game. In Season 12 (2025) he played for Gujarat Giants. Born on 14 May 2000, he has also captained Iran on the international stage.

PKL career

Shadloui arrived in the league with Patna Pirates in Season 8 and made an immediate impact. He scored 89 tackle points in 24 matches, the most by any player that season, as Patna reached the final before losing to Dabang Delhi. Retained for Season 9, he followed up with 84 tackle points in 20 matches, the second highest in the league.

Ahead of Season 10 he became the most expensive overseas player in PKL history when Puneri Paltan bought him for ₹2.35 crore. He repaid that faith in style, topping the tackle charts again with 99 tackle points and recording 97 successful tackles. He played a pivotal role as Puneri Paltan won their first PKL title, beating Haryana Steelers in the final. That season also brought 11 High 5s, his best tally.

In Season 11 he turned out for Haryana Steelers, scoring 139 points (57 raid, 82 tackle) in 24 matches, his highest points total in a single season. Haryana Steelers lifted the PKL title that year, giving him a second championship.

Season 12

Released to the 2025 auction, Shadloui was bought by Gujarat Giants for ₹2.23 crore, once again the most expensive foreign player in the auction. He scored 65 points in 17 matches (28 raid, 37 tackle) with 2 High 5s, at a raid strike rate of 40% and a tackle strike rate of 43%.

Across five PKL seasons he has played 109 matches and scored 513 points, made up of 122 raid points and 391 tackle points, along with 34 High 5s.

International career

Shadloui was part of the Iran junior team that won gold at the 2019 Junior World Kabaddi Championship. He was named in Iran’s 14-member preparatory camp on the island of Kish in August 2023 ahead of the 2022 Asian Games, and went on to captain Iran at those Games, where they finished as runners-up to India in the final.

Style of play

His numbers tell the story of a player built on defence. In his first two seasons he scored just 5 raid points each year while piling up tackle points. Since then his raiding share has grown steadily, with 57 raid points in Season 11, which explains why he is now listed as an all-rounder.

Statistics and team history: Pro Kabaddi League.