Pro Kabaddi League 2024: 3 raiders who could finish with most raid points in PKL 11
The reverse countdown to Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2024 has started. Only a few hours remain before the first raid of the new season, and this time, the tournament is expected to be better than ever because all 12 teams are equally stacked up.
The franchises participated in a player auction earlier this year, where they filled in the vacant spots of their squads by signing the top kabaddi talents from across the world. As always, raiders were in demand at the auction, with Sachin Tanwar emerging as the costliest pick of the event at ₹2.15 crore.
The reason why teams chase raiders is that they attract huge crowds to the stadiums. Plus, if a team's attack department is on fire, they usually win the majority of their matches.
In the past, fans have noticed that the team with the best raider often ends up in the upper half of the points table. Each franchise has at least one extraordinary raider in PKL 11, and before the new season starts, here's a list of three players who can end up with the most raid points in Pro Kabaddi 2024.
3 raiders who could finish with most raid points in PKL 11
#1 Ashu Malik, Dabang Delhi KC
Dabang Delhi KC's co-captain Ashu Malik emerged as the biggest match-winner for his franchise in PKL 10 after Naveen Kumar got injured. Naveen was the team's main raider while Ashu played the support raider's role.
However, Naveen's injury midway in PKL 10 forced Ashu to step up, and he grabbed the golden opportunity with both hands. Ashu finished with 276 raid points in 23 matches, helping Delhi qualify for the playoffs. He won the Best Raider award as well. The rising star will be keen to retain the crown in PKL 11.
#2 Arjun Deshwal, Jaipur Pink Panthers
Jaipur Pink Panthers skipper Arjun Deshwal has been unstoppable in the recent editions of the Pro Kabaddi League. Ever since he joined the Jaipur-based franchise, he has been a completely different raider.
Deshwal has scored more than 550 raid points in the last two seasons only. However, this year, he will play as a captain for the first time in his PKL career. It will be interesting to see if Deshwal can perform the same way as a captain and win the Best Raider award in Pro Kabaddi League 2024.
#3 Pardeep Narwal, Bengaluru Bulls
'Dubki King' Pardeep Narwal is back at the Bengaluru Bulls for the first time since Season 2 of PKL. Narwal has reunited with coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat, who will aim to bring the Record Breaker back to his golden form.
After a forgettable stint with the UP Yoddhas in the last few PKL seasons, Narwal will try to make a fresh start to his Pro Kabaddi League career at the Bengaluru Bulls. He has won the Best Raider award multiple times in his career, and if he regains his golden touch, he could become the first raider to complete 2,000 raid points in the league's history as well.