The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup has been up and running, sporting the game across the globe since the 7th of October and continues to do so till date. However, one common scenario in the Pool matches has been several lop-sided matches which witnessed a raiding extravaganza.
“Attack is the best form of defense.” This seemed to be the motivational dictum for most of the key players who led their teams’ charge in the opposition half. Raiders have a task on their hands; it is akin to a one man army against a streak of prowling tigers.
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If that is not threatening enough, the player has to overcome their challenge and sneak in touch and bonus points to keep the scoreboard ticking. One has to sustain the onslaught and do so consistently in order to lead the charge of inflicting tactical destruction on the rival team.
The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup saw a raging attack from teams with a massive 1424 points coming off raids alone, the skills on display ranged from the classic toe touches, running hand touches to the occasional frog jump, dupki, back and scorpion kicks.
Here are the 5 best players who proved their mettle in the raiding department:
#5 David Mosambayi (Kenya)
Kenya might not have qualified for the semi-finals, but in their run up to the business end of the tournament, skipper David Mosambayi not only led his players exceedingly well but earned the reputation of being the “danger man” for rival teams. The Puneri Paltan recruit in the Pro Kabaddi League, saw his best effort gaining fruit in the match against Poland where he had rampant run with 21 points to his name.
With a decent strike rate of 6.4 successful tackles per match, the key strategy of the opposition was to keep this player off the mat in order to ensure a victory. This was the case in point when the Kenyans clashed against Thailand, where the skipper spent more than 20 minutes off the court and was not able to showcase his prowess which resulted in him scoring a paltry 2 points in the entire match.
However, in the team’s last match against the USA, he played up to his stature, claiming a Super 10 and ripping the rival defence apart.
A former security guard back home, he had to leave the job due to his increasing popularity. With a successful World Cup outing now, he can be assured that he will have more brushes with the paparazzi when he returns to his native land.
#4 Temi Tope Adewalure (England)
A typical attacking all-rounder is what he likes to describe himself as. The raiding powerhouse from England, one of the few non-Indian origin players who left his mark on the Kabaddi World Cup with 51 points from the 5 encounters at the group stage.
His USP was his quick feet movements which often left the rival defenders flummoxed giving him the perfect opportunity to score a touch point. Calm and composed, he rarely panicked and his best performances came when England played Australia and Argentina wherein he amassed 22 and 19 points respectively, to also finish as the highest scorer in both the encounters.
A strike rate of 7.6 raids in each outing, he was a delight to watch even for the audiences for he gave them a visual treat of a mini jig after every successful attempt, reflecting his “unfazed even in the face of a calamity” character.
#3 Ajay Thakur (India)
Ajay Thakur has made some bold strides wearing the Blue Indian jersey, being the first choice raider for the defending champions. He came into the tournament on the back of a poor run in Pro Kabaddi Season 4 but that did not dampen his spirits.
The fact that he has only been a part of the starting 7 since the last two matches, speaks a lot about the fact that he has virtually improved his performance with every passing match in order to impress his coaches and captain. With three consecutive Super 10’s to his name, he is on the leaderboard with an average of 6.8 successful raids in every clash, he has made himself an indispensable factor in the Indian squad’s run towards the title.
While the bonus points and running hand touches have been on display from his end, the viewers and fans of the tall, Himachali raider are yet to witness his signature frog jump, for maybe he is reserving the best for the last, the semi-finals and the finals!
#2 Khomsan Thongkam (Thailand)
Leading his team at the World Cup, the man from the land of Siam has amassed a total of 53 raid points at the group stage, with the majority of efforts being directed towards qualifying for the semi-finals and setting up a date with India.
For an army man who has learned the sport by just watching it on television, the strike rate of 8.6 successful raids per match speaks volumes about the skills of this player. An ideal skipper, the only employed individual in a team comprising of high-school and university students, Khomsan has led the side quite responsibly contributing majorly to the team’s progress.
He has three Super 10s to his name already, with two of his best innings coming against the USA and Kenya where he scored 14 points in both the encounters. However, his best match can be rated as the one against Japan where he rallied his team at a time when they were trailing for a major part of the fixture by scoring 10 points and helped his team cross the line to the semi-finals.
#1 Md. Arduzzaman Munshi
Although Bangladesh have failed to make the cut to the next stage of the tournament, their captain and raider Munshi still managed to make quite an impact with a total of 52 raid points in his campaign at the World Cup.
Having played professional kabaddi since 2008, he not only had experience by his side but also the skills of an aggressive raider which was showcased when he notched up points for his team with his running touches every now and then.
The man from Bagherhat had his best outing in the encounter against Australia where he ripped the defense apart gathering 17 points in the process. With the highest strike rate of 9.2, the man who plays for U Mumba in Pro Kabaddi and for the Navy back home certainly led his team by example to finish as the best raider at the conclusion of the group stage.
