Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: One for the record books, Rahul Chaudhari scores his 500th raid point

He maybe the poster boy of Kabaddi, he may have a plethora of skills and talent to his credit, combining it well with the naturally gifted good looks to establish himself amongst his female fans alongside the men, but Rahul Chaudhari is much more than what appears on the canvas. Dig a little deeper, and one will admire the sportsman for his stellar performances on the kabaddi mat, his rampant raiding which often leaves the rival defenders flummoxed for the best of them are not able to stop him in his tracks.

In the match against the Bengaluru Bulls, Rahul showcased his mettle once again, when he reached the landmark of 500 raid points in his Pro Kabaddi career. The young gun was just one short of the 500 mark after the Patna Pirates' defense managed to keep him at bay in the previous encounter.

He is the first player to achieve this feat and in fact, leaves behind the rest of the elite players by a margin for the second best, Anup Kumar is yet to even reach the 400 mark, pegged at 382 raid points.

Rahul's versatility in picking up points whether it is through swift hand touches on the defender's shoulder, his agile jumps over the chain tackle or nimble footed ness when it comes to quick bonus points and moreover the ability to amass points in heaps on a single raid has given him an edge above the others in his league.

In fact, when it comes to the leader board, Rahul is perched atop various tallies! He has the most amount of successful raids, 394 to be particular, just 6 short of the 400 mark in this respect. Most importantly, when it comes to Super 10's, Rahul has 25 to his name, 14 more than the second best contender Kashiling Adake, probably an indicator of the consistency he brings on to the mat.

Rahul's exploits are not just restricted to the Pro Kabaddi League, but he has more accolades to his name. He led the Uttar Pradesh team to the Senior Nationals title back in 2015 and more recently was an integral part of the Indian national team which won the gold medal at the South Asian Games last year and the Kabaddi World Cup post that in October.

Thus, the only thing that eludes him as a player now, is the Pro Kabaddi title, which he will look to claim in the ongoing fifth edition. He is one of the four players to remain with the same side across five seasons of the league and with the added responsibility of captaincy, Rahul will look to lead by example, thus empowering his fellow team mates to go on and lay their hands on the coveted trophy.