Top 5 Pro Kabaddi League raiders to watch in PKL 11: Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, Naveen Kumar & more. Will they lead their teams to victory?
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The pro Kabaddi League returns for its eleventh edition, and as is always the case, raiders will be where the eyes will be watching. In the high-octane arena of Kabaddi, the raiders are the ones who go a long way in making or breaking the fortunes of their teams. Their ability to fetch vital points using bold and sometimes strategic raids can turn a match the other way around especially when their side is behind. The importance of raiders has increased over time, which explains why teams are willing to spend such large sums at auctions to get the best.
PKL 11 brings some of the most exciting and experienced raiders, each flaunting its own unique style and skill set for this season. Let's dive into the top 5 raiders who are set to dominate this season and why they are the keys to their teams' fortunes.
5. Sachin Tanwar – Tamil Thalaivas
Sachin Tanwar, one of the most prized raiders, has proved his mettle for several seasons and emerged as a most reliable performer in the league. Thus, since he consistently delivered for Patna Pirates, he became the costliest player at PKL 11, with Tamil Thalaivas securing his services for a staggering ₹2.15 crore.
Having begun his career with Gujarat Fortunegiants in Season 5, the right raider from Churu, Rajasthan, entered the limelight immediately through his agility, sharp tactical raiding, and scores in crucial moments. In six seasons so far, Sachin has collected 952 raid points and over 150 raid points in all but one season. His last season's tally of 171 raid points speaks for itself about his form.
At 25, Sachin will share raiding duties with Tamil Thalaivas's emerging talent Narender as well, an ugly but potent raiding combination that'll be terrorizing backlines.
4. Maninder Singh – Bengal Warriors
Maninder Singh is the strongest PKL legend in this list. He still keeps on making waves in the Kabaddi arena. The right raider from Dasuya, Punjab, has been an integral part of Bengal Warriors' success and is also known for scoring points when they need it the most. Maninder played 143 matches and scored 1428 raid points; he always bailed his team out of sticky situations in the games.
After one season off following the conclusion of his first term at the Jaipur Pink Panthers of the first edition, Maninder was back with a bang in Season 5 and played a key role for Warriors in their title-winning stint in Season 7. He also did well to breach the 200+ raid points barrier in four successive seasons.
PKL 11 witnesses the good form of Maninder, who has been retained using the FBM (Final Bid Match) card by the Bengal Warriors at ₹1.15 crore. He is sure to bring some action-packed raids as he leads his team to ultimate victory.
3. Naveen Kumar – Dabang Delhi K.C.
Naveen Kumar has been termed as "the Naveen Express," and he has been very active in the emergence of Dabang Delhi K.C. into Pro Kabaddi League. He is a right raider from Sultanpur in Haryana. The player has achieved 1005 raid points from 91 matches and has earned a name as one of the best raiders in the league.
Naveen's breakeven came in Season 6 when he became the youngest player to pick up 300+ raid points in a season, finishing with an impressive 301 raid points. The next season, he guided Delhi to their first PKL title with 207 raid points. Injury unfortunately cut short his campaign last season, but he still managed to score 72 points in 6 matches before being ruled out.
Fit and ready for action, Naveen will be an integral part of Dabang Delhi's title aspirations, as he joins forces with Ashu Malik and Siddharth Desai to form a potent raiding assembly for the season.
2. Arjun Deshwal – Jaipur Pink Panthers
Arjun Deshwal stormed Kabaddi for the last three seasons. Right raider Basera, Uttar Pradesh, was unstoppable and crossed 839 raid points in just 69 matches for the Jaipur Pink Panthers.
Having started his PKL career under the wings of U Mumba in Season 7, Arjun set a precedent as one of the most dramatic raiders ever when he signed with Jaipur Pink Panthers. From then on, it has been a one-way journey. Arjun went on to finish as the second best raider in Season 8 with 267 raid points. In Season 9, he broke the record by topping the league with 296 raid points for a double title with Jaipur.
Now, with Vikash Kandola and Shrikant Jadhav alongside, Arjun Deshwal will go all guns blazing to help the Pink Panthers win another trophy in PKL 11.
1. Pawan Sehrawat - Telugu Titans
Topping our list has to be none other than Pawan Sehrawat, hands down one of the greatest raiders PKL history. The "Hi-Flyer" has continued to staggerly perform game after game season after season. In his best four seasons (6, 7, 8, and 10), Pawan has totaled an astonishing 1123 raid points in just 93 matches.
He was injured in Season 9 but returned strong by scoring 202 raid points in 21 matches, though his team, Tamil Thalaivas, struggled. Now he is with Telugu Titans, for whom he signed at ₹1.725 crore. He would hope that his new team win their first-ever title.
