Pro Kabaddi League 2018: 12 raiders to watch out for this season

Pro Kabaddi League Season 6 commences in a few days as the action kicks off at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on October 7, 2018. The three-month long gruelling season will come to an end with the grand final in Mumbai on January 5, 2019, where the champions will be crowned.

Raiders have been the big-ticket attractions for the Pro Kabaddi League over the five seasons enthralling audiences of the sport with their wide variety of raiding techniques on the mat. They score the bulk of the points for the teams and despite the sport being a team sport, are one of the major reasons for the success of the team in the league.

We take a look at some of the top raiders that will be the ones to look out for this upcoming season in the Pro Kabaddi League.

#12 Deepak Narwal - Patna Pirates

Deepak Narwal is back with the Patna Pirates this season after being a crucial part of their maiden championship victory in Season 3 of the Pro Kabaddi League. Narwal had a breakout season last year with the Bengal Warriors along with Maninder Singh as he scored 85 raid points.

He will partner up with Pardeep Narwal this season and it will be interesting to see how he steps up this year as well.

#11 Kashiling Adake - Bengaluru Bulls

Kashiling Adake has been one of the most prolific raiders in the Pro Kabaddi League and had topped the raiding charts back in the second season with 114 points for the Dabang Delhi KC side.

He was a part of the U Mumba franchise last season and was their highest scoring raider and will be a part of the Bengaluru Bulls side this year. His pairing with the star man Rohit Kuma could prove to be a fruitful one for the Bengaluru Bulls.

#10 Sachin Tanwar - Gujarat Fortunegiants

Young raider Sachin Tanwar was one of the major finds of last season and a critical reason for the finals run of Gujarat Fortunegiants. The 18-year old raider ran riot on the mat and scored 159 points in 24 matches as he led the charge for Gujarat's run to the grand finale in their debut season.

#9 Nitin Tomar - Puneri Paltan

Nitin Tomar created history last season when he was picked up for a mammoth 93 Lakhs in the auction by the UP Yoddha. He was the captain for the franchise last season and led them to the playoffs in their debut appearance.

Tomar scored 167 raid points in 20 matches and will be a crucial player for the Puneri Paltan, who have shelled out 1.15 Crores for his services this season.

#8 Rishank Devadiga - UP Yoddha

Former U Mumba man Rishank Devadiga played for the UP Yoddha last season and impressed with a 165-point haul alongside Nitin Tomar as they made the playoffs in their debut season.

UP Yoddha signed him again for a huge price of 1.11 Crores at this auction and he will be the captain for the side and have a chance to make a mark again this year.

#7 Deepak Niwas Hooda - Jaipur Pink Panthers

Deepak Niwas Hooda is one of the best raiding all-rounders in the league and excelled for the Puneri Paltan for the past three seasons topping the scoring charts for the team.

He led the side to a playoffs finish last season and was instrumental in their success in the league. He was signed by the Jaipur Pink Panthers for a price of 1.15 crores this season and will be spearheading their attack this season.

#6 Maninder Singh - Bengal Warriors

Maninder Singh made a superb comeback to the Pro Kabaddi League last season with the Bengal Warriors and scored 190 points. He was a lethal raider on the mat and scored a lot of critical points for the side and will be a force to reckon with this season as well.

#5 Rahul Chaudhari - Telugu Titans

Rahul Chaudhari has been the franchise player for the Telugu Titans in the Pro Kabaddi League and will be turning out for them again after being signed for 1.29 crores in the auction.

Chaudhari scored a total of 184 points last season and will be hoping to keep his scoring form intact as he leads the charts for most points in the league.

#4 Monu Goyat - Haryana Steelers

The history maker at this year's auction, Monu Goyat's 1.51 Crores price tag brings a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. Along with players like Wazir Singh and Vikash Khandola, the former Patna Pirates man will lead the charge for the Haryana Steelers on the mat as they challenge for a great finish in their second season in the league.

#3 Ajay Thakur - Tamil Thalaivas

Ajay Thakur has been one of the best raiders in the Pro Kabaddi League and a mainstay in the Indian national side. He was on fire last year on the mat scoring 213 raid points in 22 matches for the Tamil Thalaivas in their debut season in the league.

Thakur will captain the Thalaivas this season as well and will be a key player for them if they are to finish at a better position this year.

#2 Rohit Kumar - Bengaluru Bulls

Rohit Kumar was the second highest scoring raider last season when he amassed 219 raid points in 22 matches but was unable to lead the Bengaluru Bulls to the playoffs.

This season, with Kashiling Adake in support, Kumar will hope to take charge on the mat and challenge for the title.

#1 Pardeep Narwal - Patna Pirates

Pardeep Narwal will be the key raider for Patna Pirates

The 'Dubki King' as he has been christened by Kabaddi fans was the highest scoring raider last season with a massive 369 points in 26 matches at an impressive 14.19 raid points per match.

He will be the star man on the mat for Narwal as they aim to achieve an unprecedented fourth title in a row in the Pro Kabaddi League.

Edited by Sripad