Pro Kabaddi 2022: 5 raiders who scored the most raid points in PKL 9
Pro Kabaddi 2022 final happened earlier tonight (December 17) in Mumbai, where Jaipur Pink Panthers defeated Puneri Paltan to win their second title. Captain Sunil Kumar led the Pink Panthers from the front, scoring six points. His High 5 in the defense powered the team to a 33-29 victory.
The ninth season of PKL started on October 7 in Bengaluru. Over the last two-and-a-half months, 12 teams competed against each other across four different cities. In the end, the Jaipur Pink Panthers walk away with the title.
It is a challenging task for any player to perform consistently in such a long tournament. But the following five raiders maintained supreme consistency and scored the most raid points in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#5 Maninder Singh - 238 raid points
Bengal Warriors captain Maninder Singh finished fifth on the PKL 9 raiders' leaderboard. Nicknamed 'Super Mani', the Bengal skipper scored 238 raid points in 21 matches. He was one of the few bright spots for Bengal in Pro Kabaddi 2022 season.
Maninder has also earned the tag of being a multi-point raid specialist in PKL. He executed 11 super raids this season and registered 14 Super 10s. Despite his top-quality performance, the Bengal Warriors finished 11th in the standings with 53 points from 22 matches.
#4 Narender Hoshiyar - 238 raid points
Narender Hoshiyar was the find of the season for the Tamil Thalaivas in Pro Kabaddi 2022. After PKL 9 Auction, the Thalaivas pinned their hopes on new captain Pawan Sehrawat. Unfortunately, Pawan got injured in the first match itself and was ruled out for the entire season.
New Young Player (NYP category) Narender emerged as the top raider for the Thalaivas in the absence of Pawan Sehrawat. He scored 243 raid points in 23 games and helped the Thalaivas qualify for the PKL 9 playoffs. Narender won the Best New Young Player of the Season award.
#3 Naveen Kumar - 254 raid points
Dabang Delhi KC captain Naveen Kumar did not let captaincy impact his game as he ended with 254 raid points in 23 matches. The 'Naveen Express' was in full flow this season as he registered 16 Super 10s.
Naveen led Dabang Delhi KC to the playoffs, where Bengaluru Bulls defeated them in Eliminator 1. The Delhi captain would be happy with his performance in his first season as skipper.
#2 Bharat Hooda - 279 raid points
Bengaluru Bulls' raider Bharat Hooda narrowly missed out on the number one position. He scored 279 raid points in 23 matches for the Bulls this season.
Hooda outshone his senior player Vikash Kandola in the raiding unit. The Bengaluru Bulls star earned 16 Super 10s in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
#1 Arjun Deshwal - 296 raid points
Arjun Deshwal was the most successful raider in PKL 9. Playing for the Jaipur Pink Panthers, Deshwal earned 296 raid points in 24 matches. He recorded 17 Super 10s and fell only four points short of the 300 raid points milestone.
Deshwal's efforts helped Jaipur become PKL 9 champions. He was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament.