U.P. Yoddha’s Rishank Devadiga has been one of Pro Kabaddi’s most consistent raiders over the years, having been a part of all seven seasons of PKL. Devadiga played an important role in the second season when he helped U Mumba win the title and boasts a record that reads 671 points – 624 raid points – in 121 matches. Fifth in the current leaderboard for most do-or-die raid points (129), Devadiga is an aggressive raider who loves to attack the opposition and also led Maharashtra to the 2017-18 Senior National Kabaddi Championship that ended an 11-year wait for the title for the state. Here, we have a look at his top five Super 10 performances in the PKL.
Jaipur Pink Panthers VS U.P. Yoddha, Match 121 (PKL 5)
Devadiga’s best-ever performance in the PKL came for U.P. Yoddha in the fifth season of the PKL. Up against Jaipur Pink Panthers with the added responsibility of being the captain in the match, Devadiga produced a masterclass in raiding to finish the night with 28 raid points. The main difference between the teams on the night, he scored 23 touchpoints as well as five bonus points to help U.P. Yoddha register a 53-32 win over the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the Season 1 champions’ own den.
U.P. Yoddha VS Tamil Thalaivas, Match 43 (PKL 5)
Before his heroics against Jaipur Pink Panthers in the fifth season, Devadiga showed his qualities while squaring off against Tamil Thalaivas. He finished the match as leading scorer with 16 points in his kitty. He scored 12 touchpoints, two bonus points and also demonstrated his defensive capabilities by contributing two tackle points for the team. Unfortunately for Devadiga, a lack of support from the rest of his teammates meant that the game ended in a 33-33 tie.
Puneri Paltan VS U.P. Yoddha, Eliminator 1 (PKL 5)
Not one to be burdened by the pressure that accompanies the business of a season, Devadiga gave a solid account of his temperament and skill when he delivered a 15-point raid effort against Puneri Paltan in the final. He along with Nitin Tomar raided with conviction in tandem against Puneri Paltan but sadly for the two of them, it was another effort that went in vain as Puneri Paltan went on to register a narrow 40-38 win that eliminated U.P. Yoddha.
U.P. Yoddha VS U Mumba, Match 34 (PKL 5)
Looking at the aforementioned performances, what must be evident by now is that the fifth season of Pro Kabaddi was a highly productive one for Devadiga. He finished the season with 170 points – the most he’s ever managed in a single campaign – and his solid displays that year all started against his former team, U Mumba. U.P. Yoddha’s top-scorer in the match with 14 touch points, Devadiga once again led from the front but couldn’t quite prevent a 34-37 loss in front of a vociferous home crowd.
U Mumba VS Telugu Titans, Match 54 (PKL 3)
Speaking about U Mumba, one of Devadiga’s earliest Super 10 performances came for the Season 2 winners in PKL 3. Pitted against Telugu Titans, Devadiga gave spectators a taste of what he was going to become in the years to come by finishing as the game’s top-scorer with 14 raid points – 13 touchpoints as well as a bonus. This 14-point effort of his came in a winning cause as U Mumba put Telugu Titans to the sword and beat them with a convincing scoreline of 38-22.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @ProKabaddi
