Performing under pressure requires great skill and immense mental fortitude. While not everyone possesses the ability to withstand the pressure in crunch situations, those who do, end up carving a niche for themselves.
The do-or-die moments in a match hold utmost significance from the context of testing a player's agility, calibre and temperament. Very often, the margin of win or loss boils down to a team's performance in these moments of a match.
In the history of the league, we have witnessed many such amazing and breathtaking moments. While some players have managed to portray their skills and maintain their consistency throughout, others have ended up becoming the go-to men for their respective teams in such crucial junctures.
Today, almost every team has a specialist who is tasked to perform the role of scoring points during the make-or-break moments of the match and come out on top.
Here, we look at the top five players from Season 7 who scored the maximum raid points in do-or-die raids.
| Name | Team Name | Matches | Do-or-die Raids | Total Raid Points | Average Raid Points | Raid Strike Rate |
| Vikash Kandola | HS | 20 | 54 | 42 | 2.1 | 77.77 |
| Pardeep Narwal | PAT | 22 | 59 | 41 | 2.05 | 69.49 |
| Abhishek Singh | MUM | 21 | 58 | 37 | 1.76 | 63.79 |
| Naveen Kumar | DEL | 23 | 46 | 36 | 1.71 | 78.26 |
| Shrikant Jadhav | UPY | 22 | 41 | 28 | 1.75 | 68.29 |
Shrikant Jadhav - 28 raid points
A team comprising stalwarts like Rishank Devadiga and Monu Goyat on the raiding front is often expected to rattle the opposition defence with ease. However, Season 7 of Pro Kabaddi did not turn out to be the best for both the Yoddha raiders, returning with 75 and 65 raid points respectively.
Shrikant Jadhav, meanwhile, had a stellar season, scoring 148 raid points from 22 matches at an average of 6.73 raid points per match and was the best raider in the UP setup by a fair margin. He was instrumental in bailing his team out of trouble on numerous occasions in the do-or-die raids, scoring 28 raid points at an astounding strike-rate of 68.29.
Naveen Kumar - 36 raid points
The young prodigy and the future star of Indian kabaddi was the fulcrum of Delhi's terrific run in the previous edition. Naveen had a dream run, scoring 301 raid points and becoming only the third player in the history of the tournament to achieve the feat.
In the do-or-die scenarios, Naveen had a remarkable strike-rate of 78.26, the best in the tournament among players involved in 40 or more do-or-die raids.
Abhishek Singh – 37 raid points
The go-to man for U Mumba had a phenomenal PKL Season 7. Abhishek was involved in 58 do-or-die raids, scoring 37 raid points at a strike-rate of 63.79. Abhishek's vital points through do-or-die raids helped U Mumba finish fourth in the points table.
Pardeep Narwal - 41 raid points
'Dubki King' Pardeep Narwal was the sole bright spark in what was a forgettable season for the Patna Pirates. Narwal scored 41 raid points from a total of 59 do-or-die raids in the season with an average of 2.05 raid points per match - the second-best in the entire season.
Vikash Kandola – 42 raid points
At the top of the list is the promising Haryana Steelers raider. Vikash scored a total of 42 raid points from 54 raids at a staggering strike rate of 77.77, averaging 2.1 raid points per match, the highest among all the raiders involved in do-or-die raids throughout the season. Vikash's speed and guile helped his team overcome the mighty defences of teams in the tournament.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @PatnaPirates
