The final week of the seventh season of Pro Kabaddi is about to explode with mouth-watering clashes lined up for the fans and critics alike. This season has been one of the most closely fought campaigns in the history of the competition, with new records and young players taking centre stage on multiple occasions. Ranging from toe touch to back kicks, these players have been at the forefront of the game. With their signature moves, they’ve fought off any and all adversity, and gained maximum points for their teams.
These players have played a pivotal role in enhancing their team’s fortunes and building a huge reputation for them in return. Here, we bring you the top five fastest players in Pro Kabaddi history to reach 400 raid points.
Naveen Kumar (41 matches)
Dabang Delhi’s golden boy Naveen Kumar has been nothing short of exemplary this season. Building on his form from the previous season, when he ended up with a total of 172 raid points in 22 encounters, Naveen is on the verge of taking Delhi through for the first time in seven seasons. The Delhi raider has posted 20 Super 10s in the season so far and become the fastest player to 400 raid points, in a match against Puneri Paltans. Given his form, the accolades and praise will keep coming for the youngster.
Siddharth Desai (41 matches)
After an average start to the seventh season, many considered Siddharth Desai as a one season wonder. But the Telugu Titans soon regained form and picked up face, delivering match winning performances one after the other. Given his dip in form, Titans adopted a new strategy of putting two raiders on the mat instead of three, which gave Desai more freedom to strike. His average raids per match improved and Desai ended up equalling Naveen’s record of fastest to 400 raid points. Although Titans couldn’t make the playoffs, Desai’s resurgence in the latter half of the season was admirable.
Maninder Singh (46 matches)
Bengal Warriors’ knight in shining armour Maninder Singh has been a force to reckon with in the ongoing season. He lies among the top five raiders in the league and has consistently gathered crucial points for Bengal. Singh became the fastest player to reach 400 raid points in Pro Kabaddi’s history back in season six but was surpassed by young raiders Naveen and Desai in the current season. Taking nothing away from his accomplishment, Singh remains one of the most lethal raiders in the game.
Pardeep Narwal (49 matches)
The face of Pro Kabaddi and a household name, the prominence and genius of Patna Pirates’ Pardeep Narwal was once again witnessed in the fifth season of the competition, when he racked up a whopping 369 raid points, including 19 Super 10’s in the season. He had a total of 256 raid points till the fourth season and reached the 400-raid point mark in the first 11 matches of the fifth season, averaging almost 10-11 raid points during that time. Patna Pirates were crowned champions that season and completed a hat-trick of championships.
Rahul Chaudhari (50 matches)
The poster boy of Pro Kabaddi, Rahul Chaudhari reached the 400-raid point mark back in the fourth season, as part of Telugu Titans. Even though his performances have taken a hit in the seventh season, Chaudhari never failed to make an impression on the mat with his immaculate performances over the years. Tamil Thalaivas bought him from the Titans to strengthen their squad but Chaudhari has failed to deliver with same intensity as he had done in the past.
Feature image courtesy: Star Sports and Pro Kabaddi
