Introduction
The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2022 witnessed intense battles on the mat, with raiders showcasing their skills and agility to secure raid points for their teams. One standout performer who etched his name in the league’s history was the raider with the most raid points in the season. This article delves into the remarkable feat achieved by the top raider, exploring the strategies, statistics, and the impact on the team’s overall performance.
Identifying the Top Raider
The race for the most raid points in PKL 2022 was fiercely contested, with several talented raiders vying for the top spot. Through consistent performances and standout raids, one raider emerged as the undisputed leader in accumulating raid points. The chart below illustrates the top five raiders and their respective raid points during the PKL 2022 season.
17 Dec. 2022. Jaipur’s Arjun Deshwal is the leader of the most raid points list in the 2022 season. Bharat, Naveen Kumar, Narender, and Maninder Singh round off the top 5 positions. Kabaddi League 2022 is finished with Jaipur winning its 2nd title after 2014. They beat Puneri in the final by 33-29. The final was played at the Dome, NSCI SVP Stadium, Mumbai.
Raider is a player from the attacking side who runs into the opponent’s side of the court and tries to tag as many of the defending players as possible. Tamil’s Pawan Sehrawat has been the best raider and got the most raid points in the last three editions of the Indian Kabaddi League.
Kabaddi League 2022 Successful Raids
| Rank | Player | Team | Matches Played | Successful Raids |
| 1 | Arjun Deshwal | Jaipur | 24 | 237 |
| 2 | Bharat | Bengaluru | 23 | 222 |
| 3 | Naveen Kumar | Delhi | 23 | 213 |
| 4 | Narender | Tamil | 23 | 195 |
| 5 | Maninder Singh | Bengal | 21 | 180 |
| 6 | Pardeep Narwal | UP | 22 | 161 |
| 7 | Sachin | Patna | 20 | 145 |
| 8 | Parteek Dahiya | Gujarat | 19 | 124 |
| 9 | Aslam Inamdar | Puneri | 17 | 118 |
| 10 | Manjeet | Haryana | 22 | 117 |
Strategies and Techniques
The top raider’s success can be attributed to a combination of skill, strategy, and resilience on the mat. Analyzing the techniques employed during raids, whether it be swift movements, deceptive footwork, or strategic targeting of opponents, provides insights into the player’s approach. Coaches and analysts often emphasize the importance of adaptability and quick decision-making, traits that set the top raider apart from the competition.
Kabaddi League 2022 Super Raids
| Rank | Player | Team | Matches Played | Super Raids |
| 1 | Maninder Singh | Bengal | 21 | 11 |
| 2 | Bharat | Bengaluru | 23 | 11 |
| 3 | Pardeep Narwal | UP | 22 | 8 |
| 4 | Arjun Deshwal | Jaipur | 24 | 7 |
| 5 | Vikas Kandola | Bengaluru | 24 | 6 |
| 6 | Shrikant Jadhav | Bengal | 21 | 6 |
| 7 | Surender Gill | UP | 14 | 6 |
| 8 | Ashu Malik | Delhi | 23 | 6 |
| 9 | Akash Shinde | Puneri | 21 | 5 |
| 10 | Guman Singh | Mumba | 18 | 5 |
Impact on Team Performance
A raider’s ability to consistently score raid points significantly influences the overall performance of the team. The chart below highlights the correlation between the top raider’s raid points and the team’s success in PKL 2022. It showcases how the team’s fortunes were impacted by the raider’s stellar performances.
Impact of Top Raider on Team Performance
| Team | Win-Loss Record | Playoffs Reached | Team Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Team Name] | [Wins – Losses] | [Yes/No] | [Rank] |
Notable Matches and Highlights
Beyond statistics, certain matches and standout moments define the top raider’s journey in PKL 2022. Whether it be a last-minute raid to secure victory or a series of successful raids against formidable opponents, these highlights contribute to the raider’s legacy. Providing a detailed analysis of key matches and memorable raids adds depth to the narrative surrounding the top raider’s remarkable season.
Challenges Faced and Overcome
The journey to becoming the top raider is not without its challenges. Injuries, defensive strategies employed by rival teams, and the pressure of expectations are hurdles that the raider must navigate. Exploring the challenges faced and overcome by the top raider sheds light on their resilience and determination.
The primary raiders of a kabaddi team are the ones who take the onus of raiding upon themselves and are entrusted with getting most of the points for their respective teams. They do the bulk of the scoring for the team and very often it’s the performance of a team’s lead raider that makes the difference between a win or loss for a team.
While clinical raiding performances are a joy to watch, every so often we see displays by raiders that completely blow the opposition away with their prowess in attack. Here we take a look at some of the raiders who scored most raid points in a Pro Kabaddi match.
Pawan Sehrawat | Pro Kabaddi Season 7
The Hi-Flyer, Pawan Sehrawat, has always been a raider to watch out for when he steps on the mat as he knows the art of taking the game to the opposition. In Match 118 of Season 7, Pawan Sehrawat scored 39 raid points while playing for Bengaluru Bulls against Haryana Steelers. Sehrawat was on fire on the night, attempting 38 raids as he finished the game as the sole raid point scorer from his team. He scripted a comfortable 23-point win for the Bulls. It was one of his best games of the campaign and Sehrawat was also the standout raider of Season 7 with 346 raid points.
Pardeep Narwal | Pro Kabaddi Season 7
Match 124 was the last match for Patna Pirates in their Season 7 campaign and the Record-Breaker Pardeep Narwal set the stage on fire with his exceptional raiding skills to earn 34 points against Bengal Warriors. The Warriors were still in the game when they were trailing by 45-35 with less than four minutes to go. However, Pardeep Narwal didn’t allow the opposition defenders to get in the game and pulled off two Super Raids in the final minutes of the match to lead the Pirates to a convincing 28-point win. Though the Pirates and Pardeep Narwal couldn’t make it to the playoffs in Season 7, he ended the campaign as the second best raider with 302 raid points.
Pardeep Narwal | Pro Kabaddi Season 5
Pardeep Narwal is the only raider to score 30-plus raid points twice in a Pro Kabaddi match. Before scoring 34 raid points in Season 7, he showcased his brilliance in Season 5 and it was against Haryana Steelers in a must-win match for Patna Pirates. In Eliminator 2, he was at his brilliant best and performed to the best of his ability. This match is also remembered for Pardeep Narwal’s stunning 8-point raid that he earned with a dubki. It turned out to be an outstanding season for the Dubki King not just as the champion team’s captain but also as an individual, who notched 369 raid points, which is still a record for the most raid points in a season.
Rohit Kumar | Pro Kabaddi Season 5
Bengaluru Bulls’ captain in Pro Kabaddi Season 5, Rohit Kumar, led his side by example in Match 51. He had a memorable match against U.P. Yoddhas as he amassed 30 raid points and helped his team to a comfortable 64-24 win against the Yoddhas. Rohit continued his excellent raiding form throughout the season and managed to become the second highest raid points scorer in Season 5 with 219 raid points. He was also the joint second highest Super 10 scorer (12) in the fifth edition of Pro Kabaddi.
Pawan Sehrawat | Pro Kabaddi Season 7
Before Pawan Sehrawat earned the most raid points in a Pro Kabaddi match, he gave us a glimpse of his capabilities when Bengaluru Bulls faced Bengal Warriors in Match 24 of Season 7. The Bulls were trailing by 11 points with less than 12 minutes to go in the match, but the Hi-Flyer absorbed the pressure and came to the Bulls’ rescue. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) from Season 6 proved his mettle yet again and helped the Bulls make a terrific 19-8 comeback in the last quarter to rescue a win from the jaws of defeat.
