Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Top 5 raiders from the Nagpur leg

Well, fate can work in numerous ways. The unavailability of the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru saw the Bulls playing their home leg of the Pro Kabaddi Season 5 in the city of oranges, Nagpur. The Mankapur Indoor Stadium in the city hosted 11 encounters, all of which left the audiences thrilled, especially a couple of matches which went down the wire.

The home team, Bengaluru Bulls had a mixed run in this leg but nonetheless put up a great show. Raiding in kabaddi can fetch you more points than the defence and hence it is primarily the raiders who hog the limelight on the mat while spearheading the attack for their respective teams. In the Nagpur leg, one witnessed all kinds of matches, from high scoring ones to matches which came to a close with a tie or a scoreline of under 25 for either team.

Thus, all kinds of players flourished across the 12 teams in question, but in this article, Sportskeeda looks at the top 5 raiders who went rampant on the mat in Nagpur.

#5 Vikas Kandola (Haryana Steelers)

He may be very young and inexperienced given the Pro Kabaddi fold but Vikas has given glimpses of his talent in the first few matches which makes him a bright prospect to watch out for as the tournament progresses. Despite the likes of Surjeet Singh and Wazir Singh sharing the dressing room at the Haryana Steelers, Vikas has been the go-to man for raid points and leads the attack for his team.

He has been of great significance to the success of a team which boasts of a strong defensive wall and has managed to create an identity for himself. He was the most successful raider for the team against the Gujarat Fortunegiants with 6 raid points to his credit.

#4 Ajay (Bengaluru Bulls)

Ajay performed a 4-point super raid against the Warriors

In the last season, he was one of the key cogs in the machine for the successful run of the Jaipur Pink Panthers. At the Bengaluru Bulls, he spearheads the attack for the team alongside Rohit Kumar and has proven to be a bright prospect for the future given his ability to thrive under pressure situations, particularly notch up points in the do-or-die raids.

The high point for Ajay came forth in the match against Bengal Warriors wherein he amassed four points in a single raid. The skipper, Rohit Kumar showcased faith in the young gun which was echoed in a post match interview wherein he said, "I always knew that if Ajay plays with his heart, scoring four points isn’t difficult for him. He can even score five points and take the entire opposition team out."

#3 Jang Kun Lee (Bengal Warriors)

Lee with a frog jump

The Korean import is proving to be a worthwhile retention for the Bengal Warriors and is leading the attacking charge for the team alongside Maninder Singh. His ability to fetch points in a heap or just catch the defenders unaware with a swift running hand touch is extremely spectacular.

Moreover, he also has the prowess to get the bonus points when there are six or more defenders on the mat, an aspect which is troublesome for the rivals. In the two matches at Nagpur, Jang Kun Lee amassed a total of 15 raid points.

#2 Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates)

Pardeep with a trademark move

The young gun has been all but talismanic in the capacity of a skipper and the lead raider for the defending champions, Patna Pirates. He is often referred to as the best raider in the world at the moment and the young gun gave a true testament to his skills in the match against the Bengaluru Bulls wherein he clinched 15 points.

But if one carefully noticed his style of play, the player employed a range of moves to key effect, showcasing everything from the trademark dubki, frog jump, dive to the running hand touch.

#1 Rohit Kumar (Bengaluru Bulls)

Rohit is currently second on the leaderboard

The tall and lanky raider plays in the capacity of a captain and lead raider for the Bengaluru Bulls. His swiftness and agility often work to his benefit when he goes in to raid and renders the rival defence hapless. Rohit has notched up 3 Super-10's in the Nagpur leg and his points tally stands at 65 points from 7 matches so far in the league, second on the leaderboard.

In fact, so vital is his presence on the mat for the Bulls, that the only losses that they have recorded were where Rohit was relegated to the bench for an increased amount of time, thus signifying his importance.