Top raiders from the upcoming season of Pro Kabaddi League
What's the story
Raiders or attackers are the pillars of any team in the sport of Kabaddi. Not only the raider needs to be quick with his reflexes, he needs to be strong enough to make his way out from the opposite team's play area. Ahead of the 2017 season of Pro Kabaddi League, let us have a look at some of the best raiders.
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Who exactly is a raider?
A raider is a player who goes into the area of the opposite team and tries to get as many points by touching the team members of opposition, while constantly chanting the word 'kabaddi.' In PKL, each raid has to be completed within 30 seconds.
Rahul Chaudhari
Best raider in the PKL
24-year old Rahul Chaudhari has been a nightmare for the defenders of the opposite team. With a success rate of 40.22% in raids, Rahul has scored 482 raid points from 57 matches, the most by any player in the Pro Kabaddi League's history. He has won the 'Raider of the Tournament' award twice and will captain the Telugu Titans this year.
Kashiling Adake
One of the fiercest raiders in PKL
Kashiling Adake earned a name for himself after winning the 'Best Raider' award in the second season of the tournament. With 293 successful raids, he is one of the few players who has more than 400 points, 380 of which have come just from the raids. He will play for U Mumba this year, and has 11 Super 10s to his name.
Ajay Thakur
Indian team's star player
With a success record of 32.9 per cent, the 31-year old Ajay Thakur is known for his unique frog jump to avoid tackling by the opposite team members. Captaining the new team Tamil Talaivas this year, Thakur will be a difficult raider to beat, given his 16-year long experience. Thakur had scored 63 points in the last season.
Pradeep Narwal
The young talent
Pradeep Narwal, a 20 year old, has risen as one of the best raiders in the last two years. He has 256 raid points from 38 matches, 131 of which came only in one season where he was way ahead than any other raider. Narwal played an important role in Patna Pirates' wins and is the only player retained by the team.
Deepak Niwas Hooda
Puneri Paltan's star
Deepak Niwas Hooda first put on his amazing display of scoring points in the 2nd season of the PKL and since then he has not shown any signs of slowing down. With 342 raid points from 57 matches, his success rate is one of the best in his category. Hooda is a raider who can leave behind all other raiders this season.
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Khomsan Thongkham
Thailand captain Khomsan Thongkham ended 2016 Kabaddi World Cup as the second most-successful raider. While he has not played any match in PKL yet, his record makes him a dangerous raider. He will be a part of Haryana Steelers this year.