5 best raiders from Pro Kabaddi League season 1

Raiding, which does seem like a standalone manoeuvre, has its own techniques which need to be mastered to ace the sport. The raiders are responsible for the majority of the points scored in the game and requires quick movement on the raider’s part. Each player needs to gauge the appropriate moment to march into the domain of the challenger, constantly keeping a vigilant watch over the team to not be surrounded, and all throughout honing his arm and leg movements.Though, raiding is as much seen as a proficiency of an individual player, the art can be accomplished only when the player learns to work around the limitation of the opponents. Hence, raiding has seen a variety of moves – from toe touches to back kicks. Some take it slow and stealthily, while some other have a blink and miss raid.The inaugural season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) saw some brilliant move by raiders and a lot of players became household names. Here are the top 5 raiders from last season:

#5 Kashiling Adake and Surjeet Narwal

Surjeet Narwal from Dabang Delhi got 113 points for his team in a disappointing campaign for the team that finished 6^th in the first season. In the fifth game of the league against Puneri Patlan, Narwal’s flair came to the front to help his team win 35-31. Anyone who saw Narwal play in the first season would be mistaken for thinking he was a high jumper before, for his raids were laden with spectacular escapes.

Another raider from Delhi, Kashiling Adake, etched his name on the supporters’ minds when he helped his team beat Bengal Warriors, after two successive losses, by scoring 14 crucial points. Having gone in for 200 raids, he scored 113 points for his team and gave them something to cheer about during their disappointing journey in the first season. Like his teammate, he is also famous for his athletic jump, which has helped him collect a lot of points.

Kashiling Adake and Surjeet Narwal were bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for Delhi. If the team is to progress any further in the league, others need to support them well.

#4 Ajay Thakur

Ajay Thakur made bold strides wearing the Bengaluru Bulls’ jersey. Out of the 167 raids he attempted throughout the season, he managed 78 successful ones, scoring 122 points while raiding.

After starting brilliantly, Ajay faded away towards the end, but still managed to feature in the top 5 raiders from last season list. His form replicated that of the Bulls, as despite qualifying for the semis, they lost their last two matches to finish fourth. This highlighted his importance to the team.

Ajay Thakur’s frog jump will live long in the memory of the viewers and with the second season coming up, Bengaluru Bulls fans will be eager to see what other tricks the 29-year old has up his sleeve.

#3 Maninder Singh

It takes quite an effort to shine in a team that slays everything in its path and goes on to win the tournament with ease. Raider Maninder Singh from Jaipur Pink Panthers did exactly that as he emerged as the third best raider in the first season.

Having scored a massive 130 points in the inaugural season, Maninder led from the front for the Panthers and used innovative methods to accumulate points for the eventual champions. The 25-year old made all heads turn in the final against U Mumba.

This youngster has plenty of talent and if the first season is anything to go by, Jaipur Pink Panthers have a hell of a talent on their hands.

#2 Rahul Chaudhari

Rahul Chaudhari carried Telugu Titans almost single-handedly and his individual contribution was lauded as he finished 2^nd on the most number of points earned while raiding. He had a massive impact on a lot of games for the Titans with his quick feet movement and reach.

This 22-year old particularly shone in a match against U Mumba, when he got 23 points in raids, while carrying the Titans to yet another win scoring 14 points against Bengal Warriors. Having made a 224 raids – the highest in the first season – Rahul returned unsuccessfully on only 36 occasions.

If Telugu Titans are to make the semis this time, they need this youngster to continue his good form from last season and, if possible, push even further.

#1 Anup Kumar

This raider with his own ingenious techniques has led his team to several crucial wins. In the close of the season, Anup Kumar finished with an overall 155 raid points taking him top of the raider leader board.

Throughout the season with his ‘toe-poke’ stamp strategically used in numerous games helped him accumulating raid points. Statistically, though he had a total of 198 raids which was not the maximum of the season, but his unsuccessful and empty raids were kept to a minimum that helped him garner the numero-uno position. His enormous 105 successful raids boosted his overall placement in the achiever’s record.

Having won the Most Valuable Player (MVP), this champion raider will indeed be a force to watch out for in the second season too.