Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh
Iranian raider who led Bengal Warriorz in their 2019 title-winning semi-final and final, and a 2018 Asian Games gold medallist with Iran.
Known for Bengal Warriorz's title-winning stand-in captain
- Team (Season 12)
- Puneri Paltan
- Position
- Raider
- Nationality
- Iran
- Born
- 17 September 1991
- From
- Mazandaran province
- Jersey
- #2
PKL career
Season by season
| Season | Team | Matches | Points | Raid | Tackle | Super 10s | High 5s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Puneri Paltan | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Gujarat Giants | 15 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Gujarat Giants | 21 | 28 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Puneri Paltan | 15 | 36 | 22 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Bengal Warriorz | 20 | 108 | 89 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | Bengal Warriorz | 23 | 122 | 92 | 30 | 1 | 1 |
Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh, also known as Moein Nabibakhsh, is an Iranian kabaddi player listed by the Pro Kabaddi League as a raider. Fans remember him best for 2019, when he joined Bengal Warriorz as the most expensive foreign buy of the season and ended up leading the side through the semi-final and final of their first PKL title run. He was also part of the Iran team that won gold at the 2018 Asian Games.
Early life
Nabibakhsh was born and brought up in Mazandaran province. After gaining popularity at the local level, he made his way into the Iran national team. Official PKL data gives his date of birth as 17 September 1991. He has also pursued a bachelor’s degree in physical education at Shomal University.
PKL career
Bengal Warriorz signed him for Season 7 in 2019 for ₹77.75 lakh. He made an instant impression, scoring a Super 10 on debut against UP Yoddha, and kept contributing points in both raids and defence. When captain Maninder Singh dislocated his shoulder in a match against Dabang Delhi, Nabibakhsh took over the captaincy and led by example in the semi-final and final. Bengal Warriorz went on to win their first ever PKL trophy.
That season he played 23 matches for 122 points (92 raid, 30 tackle), with one Super 10 and one High 5. He stayed with Bengal Warriorz for Season 8, scoring 108 points (89 raid, 19 tackle) in 20 matches, including another Super 10.
He moved to Puneri Paltan for Season 9, collecting 36 points (22 raid, 14 tackle) in 15 matches. Two seasons with Gujarat Giants followed: 28 points (12 raid, 16 tackle) in 21 matches in Season 10, and 11 points (7 raid, 4 tackle) in 15 matches in Season 11.
Season 12
Nabibakhsh was back with Puneri Paltan for Season 12 in 2025. He featured in one match, scoring 5 points (3 raid, 2 tackle), with a raid strike rate of 60% and a tackle strike rate of 25%.
Career numbers
- Seasons: 6
- Matches: 95
- Total points: 310 (225 raid, 85 tackle)
- Super 10s: 2
- High 5s: 1
International career
Nabibakhsh represents Iran on the international circuit and was part of the squad that won gold at the 2018 Asian Games.
Style of play
Though listed as a raider, he has regularly added tackle points throughout his PKL career, and in Season 10 his tackle points outnumbered his raid points. That ability to contribute at both ends was a big part of his value during Bengal Warriorz’s title-winning campaign.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh
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