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Here’s a list of the top 5 Kabaddi stars who have absolutely lit up the stage of (Pro Kabaddi League) PKL season 8 with their impeccable performances.
After 49 matches and four weeks into the season, PKL 8 has some exciting clashes and finishes. It is resuming after a two-year hiatus courtesy of the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19, which resulted in the world standing still.
The question then emerged: how can a contact-sport like Kabaddi survive in a pandemic world with numerous protocols in place? Rules such as the bio-bubble, matches being played behind closed doors, and necessary guidelines were doubtful of being implemented. Fast forward to January 2022 and we are at the halfway stage of the tournament, which is already panning out to be an interesting PKL season in the making.
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The top 5 performers of PKL season 8
5. Jaideep Kuldeep: Defender | Haryana Steleers
This is Jaideep Kuldeep's debut campaign in the PKL. He has displayed very little nerves in his first season in the competition. The young defender has been a solid addition to the Haryana Steelers’ line-up forming the defence line with veteran tackler Surender Nada.
He is among the top defenders in PKL season 8 with 26 tackle points from 8 matches. Jaideep averages 3.25 tackle points per match with a healthy tackle strike rate of 58% to his name. It has earned him 2 high 5s this season until now.
4. Sumit Sangwan: Defender | U.P. Yoddha
Like Jaideep, Sumit Sangwan too has been in fantastic form. It looks like the two defenders are the two sides of the same coin, with identical numbers of High 5s. The only thing that separates them is a 4-tackle point difference. He has earned 22 tackle points from 8 matches.
The U.P. Yoddha star was shy of just 3 tackle points from becoming the best defender of PKL season 7 in 2019, which was also his debut season. The award was eventually won by the experienced Fazel Atrachali.
Sumit Sangwan looks set to strike big this season and bag a few records. He has a 42% tackle strike rate and an average of 2.75 tackle points per match this PKL season.
3. Maninder Singh: Raider | Bengal Warriors
Maninder Singh took PKL season 1 by storm. He was instrumental in Jaipur Pink Panthers’ historic triumph in the inaugural season. Since joining the Bengal Warriors in 2017, he has never disappointed fans, performing consistently at a striking pace. He also won his second PKL title last season.
He has grown in his leadership role. Maninder Singh has continued his rich reign of form from the title-winning campaign in 2019.
The Bengal Warriors are unfortunately standing in 10th place on the PKL 8 table. Maninder Singh has claimed a total of 100 points (99 raid points and a tackle point) from 8 matches for them. His array of 99 raid points includes six massive Super 10s and he also has the highest number of Super Raids this season thus far.
Before heading into the top two performers of PKL season 8, here are three honorable mentions of some special talents.
Arjun Deshwal: Raider | Jaipur Pink Panthers
The youngster is leading the attacking line for the Jaipur Pink Panthers this PKL campaign. He is proving his potential by delivering some high-octane performances. With a strong strike rate in both raids and tackles of 63 and 50%, respectively, Arjun Deshwal has been fabulous. It has earned him a total of 100 points which includes 5 Super 10s.
Surender Nada: Defender | Haryana Steelers
When you talk about the experience and the stronghold of Indian kabaddi, Surender Nada’s name comes up. The veteran defender has been complimenting his peers with some excellent tackles.
It is worth noting that he missed the previous edition due to an injury and is making a comeback to the sport. Surender Nada is among the top 10 defenders of the PKL season 8 with 22 tackle points. It includes a high of 5, from the 8 matches he has played till now.
V Ajith Kumar: Raider | U Mumba
This is his second season in the PKL and he’s already among the top players. V Ajith Kumar’s quickness, agility, and presence of mind on the mat make him a brilliant talent. He strikes at 60% accuracy and maintains an average of 8.43 raid points per match. He has a couple of Super 10s and has contributed to accumulating 59 raid points from 7 matches.
2. Naveen Kumar: Raider | Dabang Delhi K.C.
"Naveen Express" continued from where he had left off in the previous PKL season in 2019. Delhi Dabang K.C. were unbeaten in their first seven matches of this campaign. A special mention should go towards their star raider, who has been in incredible form.
Ever since making his PKL debut in 2018, Naveen Kumar has impressed everyone with this hunger for winning points for his side. He tops the charts for multiple traits, such as total points (130), the most successful raids (114), total raid points (130), and the most number of Super 10s (7) so far in PKL season 8.
Naveen has already been one of the top performers this season with his amazing form play. It does absolute justice to his credentials and the chart with him being included up top.
1. Pawan Sehrawat: Raider | Bengaluru Bulls
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat, vice-captain of the Indian national team and captain of the Bengaluru Bulls, is a case study in the sport of Kabaddi. Prior to his breakthrough season with the title-winning Bengaluru Bulls in 2016, he was all set to retire the sport and look elsewhere for a career.
Back in 2015, Pawan Sehrawat was disappointed but not broken. And there's a reason why they say "fortune favours the brave," and the following season, we all witnessed the reincarnation of a gem of an athlete.
The High Flyer hasn’t looked back ever since, delivering top-notch performances every single time he steps foot onto the mat. Pawan Sehrawat has once again shown up as the leader of the pack and is winning matches for his team.
His efforts showcase the fact that Bengaluru Bulls are one of the top teams in the PKL 8. They are placed in the third spot on the league table with 28 points from 8 matches.
Pawan ‘High Flyer’ Sehrawat’s scintillating performance continues, scoring a total of 100 points from 8 matches. It includes 95 raid points and 5 tackle points. He averages 11.88 raid points per match and has also recorded five Super 10s this PKL season.
