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The league that changed the fabric of sports in India is back. The success of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is all down to the greatness of the sport that cried out for limelight for years, despite India’s unmatched success. As we head deeper into season 3, we will see some of these superstars liven up the kabaddi court with their play.So, we take a look at 5 Indian players who will entertain the fans this season:
#5 Rakesh Kumar - U Mumba
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The former captain of the Indian National team, Rakesh Kumar hardly played a part last season due to injury. The player later also fell out with the Patna Pirates, which made him a free agent ahead of Season 3. Champions U Mumba were looking to improve an already top class side and Rakesh Kumar's availability provided them with the perfect opportunity to do so.
The 33-year-old brings so much to the table and U Mumba look almost a league above the rest of the opponents with him in the side. He will be keen to leave a mark on this tournament, especially after he missed a large chunk of last one and that might just be the factor that takes U Mumba to a second successive title.
#4 Kashiling Adake - Dabang Delhi
Indian kabaddi’s latest sensation, Kashiling Adake took the league by storm last season. Consistency coupled with the odd carnage of opponents made Kashi the most successful raider of the previous season with 114 raid points. The tally would have been even more had Dabang Delhi made it to the semi-finals and beyond, but that took little sheen away from Kashiling's achievements.
Unlike the other top performers from the previous campaign, Kashiling Adake remained with Dabang Delhi for the new season. With stalwarts like Wazir Singh now to support him, the 23-year-old could take yet another big leap this season.
#3 Rahul Chaudhari - Telugu Titans
Captaining a team is one of the most difficult jobs in sport and doing that at the age of just 22 is no mean task! Rahul Chaudhari, however, has done so with aplomb. Having amassed 249 raid points in the opening two seasons, he has established himself as a 5-star raider.
Rahul carried Telugu to 3rd spot last season while he was named the 'Raider of the Tournament' in the inaugural season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. He has been selected in the Indian national kabaddi team for the upcoming South Asian Games - a testament to his consistently stellar performances in the tournament.
#2 Manjeet Chhillar - Puneri Paltan
The Most Valuable Player from Season 2 decided to switch colours for the third season of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League when he moved from Bengaluru Bulls to join Puneri Paltan. With a host of other top signings by Puneri Paltan, including Ajay Thakur and Somvir Shekhar, in addition to Deepak Niwas Hooda, Manjeet Chhillar will try and lead yet another strong team to the final, which he lost with the Bulls last season.
Chhillar's all-rounder efforts will be key to add a balance to a talented Puneri Paltan side and a performance similar to last season will surely benefit the Ashok Shinde-coached team. Manjeet is a true winner and will be desperate to go one step better and win the league this time out, albeit with a different team. That makes him all the more dangerous for opponents.
#1 Anup Kumar - U Mumba
Anup Kumar has lit up the tournament with spectacular performances in the first two seasons. The raider portrayed two different sides of his game in the two seasons so far. The 32-year-old was rampant in the first season, collecting over 150 raid points, while a more subdued second season in terms of raid points saw Anup Kumar call the shots in games and thus play it on his terms.
As his U Mumba side look to defend the Pro Kabaddi League crown, Anup Kumar will once again play a huge role. Although the responsibility of raiding will be shared by the arrival of Rakesh Kumar in U Mumba’s team, skipper Anup Kumar will have to find a way to get all these big players pulling in one direction.
